WWE SmackDown: Results, Highlights and Grades for December 20th, 2019

On the first WWE SmackDown after TLC, Bayley takes on Dana Brooke while The New Day answer Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura’s challenge.

We open SmackDown with the much anticipated return of Daniel Bryan as the WWE Universe welcome a newly shaven Bryan with a bevy of Yes! chants.

He says that when he disappeared after The Fiend ripped his hair out, he didn’t know where he went. But when he came to, he didn’t notice the beard gone. He noticed the “Daniel Bryan Brand” was gone. He also saw his scared daughter cry at the sight of her father, because she didn’t recognize him without the hair.

She didn’t recognize him without the “Brand,” but he recognized himself because he looked in the mirror and saw the younger version of himself who hadn’t yet main evented WrestleMania and was still hungry.

Now, he’s ready to change Bray Wyatt and calls out the Universal Champion. But instead, out comes The Miz, another man who’s been “changed” by The Fiend.

Miz says that Bryan doesn’t know what it’s like to be violated the way Wyatt violated his family’s home last week. Miz says Wyatt doesn’t have a family, but he has a title he plans to take away from him so he has nothing.

Out comes King Corbin to state his own claim for the belt. He says maybe Miz’s daughter wouldn’t have been scared of Wyatt’s puppets if he had his wife’s genes. He makes fun of Bryan’s daughter for being scared of his father looking like “baby Yoda.”

Corbin calls Bryan a failure before shouting out his own successes, such as beating Roman Reigns last Sunday. He says both Bryan and Miz not only failed as wrestlers, but they failed as fathers. So the fathers go to beat Corbin up, until Dolph Ziggler ambushes both men from behind.

Corbin lays Bryan out with the End of Days before crowning himself and exiting the ring.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1208193686506524672

Grade: B

Everyone played their roles to a tee, while the segment itself did a great job in setting up possible contenders in the World Title picture. Corbin made it personal in played an easily hateable villain while also coming off as a believable, credible challenger. Didn’t thrill me, so to speak, but it was technically flawless (as in nothing to criticize) in its design.

After the commercial break, The Miz and Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin is made official for tonight’s main event.

Then, before our next street fight, Tucker and Otis are interviewed by Cathy Kelley backstage. She asks if their confidence is shaken after losing to Nakamura and Cesaro last week. Tucker says no, but Otis’ feelings were atill hurt after Sami Zayn destroyed his ham.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1208195688154222592

Outta nowhere, Mandy Rose comes out, claiming to be Otis’ Secret Santa. She gives him a brand new ham and a kiss.