WWE SmackDown Tribute to the Troops Results: Winners, Live Grades, Highlights, More
WWE has long called its annual Tribute to the Troops show the most important of the year and Friday night on SmackDown, the company produced a star-studded broadcast featuring appearances from CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and other top competitors as it said "thank you" to the members of the armed services in Providence, Rhode Island and around the world.
With a blockbuster tag team main event pitting Orton and LA Knight against The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso, the show also promised the continuation of top storylines as the company neared the conclusion of 2023 and the beginning of the road to Royal Rumble.
Find out what went down, who emerged victoriously from the in-ring action, and how each segment graded out with this recap of the December 8 broadcast,
Lineup
1 of 8Advertised in advance for Friday's show were:
- LA Knight and Randy Orton vs. Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso
- Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
- United States Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament: Dragon Lee vs. Santos Escobar
- United States Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament: Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross
- Appearances by CM Punk and Cody Rhodes
United States Contender Tournament: Dragon Lee vs. Santos Escobar
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Santos Escobar advanced in the United States Championship Contender Tournament Friday with a win over Dragon Lee.
The contest, a rematch from Survivor Series, highlighted the in-ring chemistry of the competitors. With that said, it was hardly the showcase two immensely talented individuals should have.
Interrupted by a commercial break, and with the dark cloud of NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio hanging overhead, the match was merely good when it had the potential to be great.
Hopefully, we have an opportunity to see Lee and Escobar tear it up for 20 minutes on a premium live event one day.
Backstage, Randy Orton questioned Nick Aldis' decision to pair him with LA Knight against The Bloodline later tonight, then handed over a check to pay the fine for his RKO to the boss a week ago.
A check for double the money, "for next time."
Result
Escobar defeated Lee
Grade
B-
Top Moments and Takeaways
- JBL comparing Mysterio to Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as leaders who emerged from prison better off was certainly a choice.
- Mysterio appearing at ringside during Lee's match was a nice way to create interest in Saturday's NXT Deadline event.
- The finish was rather uneventful but gave way to Mysterio arrogantly standing tall over Lee, then spitting on him in the ultimate sign of disrespect.
- Maybe having Orton saying he didn't know who Knight was until last week isn't the best way to put The Megastar over given he just headlined a major premium live event against Roman Reigns.
Cody Rhodes Promo
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Cody Rhodes made a special appearance Friday night, thanking the troops in attendance and around the country.
The perfect face of the company, he was fantastic here as he showed gratitude and thanks, while never coming off as fake or forced.
A great use of a star of his magnitude.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The love for Rhodes cannot be faked or manufactured. Though he and CM Punk are beloved for different reasons, it is the connection with the fans that will ensure they have passionate support regardless of where they go.
- Rhodes threw to video package reliving the history of the Tribute to the Troops and it was extremely apparent how important John Cena was to the legacy of the event.
United States Contender Tournament: Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross
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Bobby Lashley earned his way to the semifinals of the United States Championship Contender Tournament, defeating Karrion Kross in a match where the outcome was never really in question.
Even if Lashley's status as a heel is.
The All-Mighty weathered the brief storm presented by Kross and folded him up with the spear for the win.
The overwhelmingly positive reaction to Lashley was understandable given his stint as a sergeant in the Army, but his spot in the semis against Santos Escobar suggests he will be the fan-favorite again next week.
It begs the question: has WWE given up on Lashley and The Street Profits being heels or is this merely a case of booking as-needed?
Result
Lashley defeated Kross
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The production team really put over Lashley, both as a former sergeant in the Army and a babyface. It will be interesting to see if this is strictly for the night or if there was a decision made to switch him and the Street Profits babyface again.
- Well, Kross at least got an entrance this week.
CM Punk's SmackDown Return
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If anyone watched CM Punk's first promo back on the November 27 episode of Raw and was concerned that we were somehow in store for a neutered or subdued Best in the World, he eased all concerns with a fiery promo Friday night that left no stone unturned.
He referenced past issues with Kevin Owens, history with Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman, called Roman Reigns out for never being around, and played up the "which brand is he going to sign with" storyline.
Yes, he even dropped a reference to both AEW's All Out 2022 brawl and his physical altercation with Jack Perry at All In 2023.
He also took shots at reigning World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, seemingly planting the seeds for that hotly anticipated championship match. His final mic drop statement, about finishing his story by headlining WrestleMania, should serve to create doubt about Rhodes rolling into the Royal Rumble and winning the titular match.
This was everything anyone could have asked for, with soundbites that will played over and over for weeks and nods to potential upcoming storylines for the former WWE champion.
Great stuff.
Grade
A+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- MONSTER reaction for Punk from the fans in Providence.
- "The good news is that it's the top of the 9:00 hour, I'm not on last, so I won't get my time cut. Chant all you want!"
- "A friend of mine who welcomed me back home famously likes to come out here and say, 'What do you guys want to talk about'?" Punk said, referencing Cody Rhodes.
- "Tribal Chief, I acknowledge you. Congratulations on all your success. Don't forget who the OG Paul Heyman Guy was. Don't forget that he was my wise man first."
- "I don't know who would feel comfortable working with someone who just randomly punches people in the face backstage. It's 2023, you just can't be doing that," Punk said, totally and only referencing Kevin Owens' penchant for knocking out Austin Theory and Grayson Waller.
Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
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After weeks of failing her Damage CTRL teammates, Bayley made it right Friday, interfering in the closing moments of a match between familiar foes Asuka and Charlotte Flair and helping the Empress of Tomorrow secure the win.
Flair appeared to be hurt at one point and B/R's own Graham Matthews confirmed with a post on X.
Hopefully, Flair is not seriously injured and does not miss considerable time.
As for the match, the story is so firmly centered on Bayley's diminishing relationship with her own team that the babyfaces on the SmackDown roster are almost left in limbo, with nothing of real note or interest to do.
Such was the case here, as Flair felt like the third wheel in this ordeal.
Result
Asuka defeated Flair
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Zelina Vega and Mia Yim battled Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane to the back and were joined by Bianca Belair and Shotzi, who seemingly ensured Damage CTRL would not be involved.
- This may have been billed as a WrestleMania rematch but it damn sure never got to that level. Too long a commercial break, plus the late-match shenanigans, made for a good match that never approached the WrestleMania 38 classic.
Randy Orton and LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso
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Randy Orton and LA Knight dealt Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso a crushing defeat just seven days before the return of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on next week's show.
The Viper and Megastar overcame early match dominance by the heels to halt their momentum and put them away, with Orton dropping Uso with an RKO for the second week in a row and earning the hard-fought victory.
Of interest was that Paul Heyman was not by the side of The Bloodline, just moments after CM Punk reminded the world that he was his wise man first.
How that factors into next week's show, and if Heyman has to answer for his absence, will be of the utmost interest.
Result
Orton and Knight defeated Sikoa and Uso
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "I think that reaction gets louder every time," Kevin Patrick said of LA Knight's pop.
- Knight clearing out Sikoa, then sending Uso into the RKO, was a nice way to put him on the level of Orton.
Overall Grade: Best Tribute to the Troops Show Ever?
8 of 8Over the years, WWE has presented the Tribute to the Troops show and more times than not, it is a one-off that has very little to do with ongoing storylines. The matches are secondary to the patriotic sentiment and the broadcast typically ended with a group of Superstars saluting the members of the armed forces in the audience.
This show still managed to pay tribute to those who serve the country while staying true to ongoing stories. It was the perfect mix of acknowledgment of the special guests' service to the country without sacrificing an entire week of narrative.
The Punk promo will be the biggest takeaway, as it should. His appearance was the highest-touted moment and he delivered, cutting a promo that named everyone and thing you could imagine, with a flare of that Punk attitude.
Did all of the individual segments grade out highly? No, but as a whole, this was a great show and the best "Tribute" show the company has ever produced.
Grade: A
