WWE SmackDown: Results, Highlights and Grades for December 27th

WWE’s final episode of Friday Night SmackDown of 2019 sends the blue brand to Detroit’s FOX Theater for Daniel Bryan vs. King Baron Corbin vs. The Miz to decide who will face Bray Wyatt for The Fiend’s Universal Championship at Royal Rumble.

But first, ladies and gentlemen of the WWE Universe … Elias.

Spotlight on him in the middle of the ring, he’s singing a 2019 Wrap-Up song summarizing stuff we saw this year (like Bayley’s haircut and Shane McMahon) before telling the crowd to buckle up for tonight’s triple threat main event.

Then, after our opening crawl, we open the show with our, uh, “main event.”

But wait! Not yet!

Corbin enters on his throne to say that Miz and Bryan are terrible fathers and former WrestleMania main eventers. Despite being neither, Corbin says Bryan must’ve had his brain matter ripped out by The Fiend if he thinks either could beat him.

Corbin says he earned this opportunity by beating Roman Reigns at TLC and the crowd should beg him to win this number one contender’s match. He adds that neither Bryan or Miz are championship material and Corbin is the only man who has what it takes to beat The Fiend.

Suddenly, a wild Big Dog appears to blindside Corbin. The two brawl around the ring until Reigns nearly Spears Corbin through the barricade before Corbin hightails it out of there, leaving through the crowd.

But with one-third of our triple threat gone, what happens to our triple threat?! Find out next, right after this commercial break!

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1210730343436652545

Back from break, Corbin is begging producers backstage to postpone the match.

And it looks like said match has been postponed, as our WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions make their way to the ring for six man action.

The New Day and Braun Strowman vs. Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn

The two strongmen, Big E and Cesaro, lock up to start. Trade side headlock holds. Shoulder tackle to Cesaro before tagging and catapulting Kofi Kingston for a splash. Kick to the gut by Cesaro before tagging to Nakamura.

Naka leapfrogs under Kofi and catches and elbow before getting clotheslined out the ring. Kofi goes for a dive, but Zayn sweeps the legs, allowing Nakamura to hit a backstabber before tagging Zayn. Series of stomps from Zayn before he sends Kofi to the outside, where he gets uppercutted over the announce table, sending us to a commercial.

Back from break, Cesaro fights off an arm wrench from Cesaro while trying to get a hot tag, but Nakamura tags in to stop it. Tag back to Cesaro, who hits a gutwrench suplex for a two count, then a sleeper hold that Kofi quickly gets out of.

Kofi gets a two count off a roll up, but regrets it following a rough European uppercut, followed by a facebuster by Nakamura after the latter tags in. Knees to the side of the face before Naka locks in a sleeper of his own.

Kofi tries to fight out of it, but Nakamura turns it into an Abdominable Stretch, staring at Big E while smacking Kofi on the bum. Yes, you read that right.

Big E tries to break it up, but Naka pushes him off the apron. Kofi hits an S.O.S.. Cesaro tags in and tries to knock Braun off the apron, but Braun grabs him by the hand. Zayn distracts Braun long enough for Cesaro to dropkick Braun to the temple.

Kofi finally has the opportunity to hot tag, but no one’s around. But Kofi does his best to fight off Nakamura and Cesaro.

Tag to Nakamura while Big E fights Cesaro off to the outside. Finally, a hot tag. Kofi tags Braun. Braun quickly bulldozes every heel in sight until Nakamura leaps off the steel steps for a high knee.

Nakamura throws him back in the ring for a Kinshasa, but Strowman clotheslines him. Cesaro saves Nakamura from a Powerslam and springboard uppercuts Braun, but gets thrown over the barricade by Big E.

Zayn is able to distract the ref while Nakamura attempts to hit Braun with a pancake sheet, but Kofi takes it out of his hands and hits Nakamura with it instead, allowing Braun to hit a Powerslam and pin the Intercontinental Champion.

After the match, Kofi grabs the mic, acknowledging Braun as The Monster Among Men, but thinks it’s time for the world to see what that monster can do with those hips. They play The New Day’s music for Braun to dance. At first, he’s stone faced and angrily, but suddenly, he dances. Badly, but that’s objective.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1210737378618302465

Winners: Braun/New Day

Grade: B

Bad dancing aside, the wrestling itself was very good. Provided some good in-ring action between great competitors, while continuing the growing feud between Braun and Naka, whilst giving the former a case for why he should challenge the latter for the title. Smart booking.