WWE SmackDown Results, Highlights, And Grades For December 25, 2018

Mustafa Ali vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas

Mustafa Ali vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas on Christmas Day? Bring out all the fire emojis for this amazing showdown between two of the very best wrestlers in WWE! Last week, Ali defeated Almas and Daniel Bryan in tag team action, teaming up with AJ Styles, by pinning the WWE Champion Bryan after an 0-5-4. So can he defeat Almas, who has been struggling to find his exact place on the SmackDown Live roster?

If you frame it like that, this is more than just a first-time match between Ali and Almas; there’s a legit story here that could be told in the ring tonight.

We saw that fire immdiately when the bell rang. Almas charged right at Ali with a huge dropkick before stomping all over the smaller opponent in the corner. He then followed it up with some chops and a powerslam, quickly gaining an advantage over the underdog, bragging about his strength as Zelina Vega pumped him up from the outside.

Ali hit a massive headscissors to get back in the match, but before he could nail a big move from the top rope, a Vega distraction allowed Almas to dump the former 205 Live superstar out of the ring prior to the commercial break.

After the break, Ali hit a big rolling facebuster to regain the advantage, and a flurry of kicks followed. Once again, Almas recovered quickly, nailing Ali with a huge elbow for a nearfall.

There were some crazy counters later in the match, but it all ended when Ali hit a lovely DDT before sealing the deal with an 0-5-4.

Grade: A-, Another statement win for Ali, and this was a solid match. But they left plenty in the tank for a future confrontation, so that’s a quiet additional positive to the good match these two put together.