WWE SmackDown: Results, Highlights and Grades for Nov. 22

Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Rhea Ripley

All of the other team’s women stand outside and around the ring like Lumberjills. Charlotte and Rhea push each other to start, then all three kick and forearm each other.

Charlotte and Ripley send The Boss to the outside, leading to a one on one staredown. They wrestle for a bit in something of a stalemate until Charlotte kicks Rhea in the face. She goes for a scoop slam but Rhea sends and shoulder blocks Charlotte into the corner. Irish whip reversal from Charlotte, then a big boot to Rhea.

Rhea tries to recover, but Charlotte stays on Rhea, shoulder blocking the former NXT UK Champ into the corner before Rhea can send The Queen to the outside. This allows Sasha Banks to run in out of nowhere for a Backstabber onto Rhea for a two count. Mounted punches from Banks to follow up. Ripley stops a kick, but can’t stop a knee to the face. But she manages to clothesline then dropkick Banks out the ring.

Rhea goes out attempting to toss Banks back in, but Sasha spins around into a dropkick under the bottom rope. Banks gloats until Charlotte runs down to push Sasha into Nikki Cross.

Given their history, Cross and Banks staredown, as the Captain accuses Cross of being in her way. Team SmackDown have to break them up from fighting. Ripley takes the opportunity to punch Banks herself. Ripley and Banks fight until Charlotte hits a diving moonsault from the top rope to take them out and send us into another commercial break.

Back from break, Rhea breaks up a rest hold between Charlotte and Sasha Banks with a rest hold. She pins Charlotte for a two count, then sends her outside. Ripley stays on Banks until the latter recovers.

Ripley reverses a poison rana attempt into an electric chair, dropping Banks face first onto the turnbuckle. She puts Banks on the top rope, but Banks kicks Rhea away to hit a top rope meteora. She crawls for the pin,

Meteora, Natural Selectrion, breaks up by Ripley

Ripley  blocks a big boot to hit a dropkick, but Charlotte evades it for a Natural Selection. Ripley crawls to the

Goes for Bank Statement, but Charlotte slams Banks down and locks in a Figure Eight. During which Ripley cleverly locks in a crucifix pin onto Charlotte, racking up the win.

After the match, Charlotte and Banks continue fighting each other until Team Raw and Team SmackDown join the fight and another brawl ensues. Team NXT taunt both teams from atop the ramp.

Winner: Rhea Ripley

Grade: A

No complaints from me. Great stuff and a great way to put over NXT before Survivor Series.

Backstage, Corbin talks to his goons about trying to lead by example before Roman ruined his locker room speech. He promises that in the main event, they’ll all take out Roman, Gable and … “Who’s that other guy that’s from here in Chicago? He wears all the bright stupid tights?”

Corbin and co. promise that if NXT or Raw invade the match, they’ll hightail it out of there, let Roman and his friends get beat up, then when the coast is clear, they’ll run back in to beat Roman and his buddies up again. They laugh all about their maniacal plan.

Sami Zayn interrupts them for a proposal of some sort, but before he can offer anything, Corbin and co. try to ignore him. Corbin calls Zayn annoying. Zayn challenges Corbin to call him annoying to his face in the middle of the ring. Zayn’s music hits, and he uses that as his excuse to retreat. There, he’s joined by the Intercontinental Champ up the ramp, as they make their way to the ring, sending us to another commercial.

Back from break, Bayley is interviewed about if she’s concerned about Becky Lynch or Shayna Baszler tonight. Bayley says she’s prepared. She says Lynch is too smart to take on Bayley while she’s ready, but Baszler is too impulsive and most likely to hit her from behind. She says is Baszler is tired of hiding in the shadows, Bayley is ready.