Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for December 22, 2023

"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles heads to the ring to start tonight's show. He says that Randy Orton wants Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble and LA Knight wants Roman any time, anywhere. He says he does not blame either of them, even though he does not care about either of them. He says that he is number one when it comes to getting his hands on Roman and wants him at Royal Rumble. Suddenly, LA Knight shows up. Knight says Styles can get Roman after he does, because he is getting Roman first when it could just as easily be Styles before Roman. Styles mentions Knight stepping over his dead body to get a match with John Cena, and says he will drop anyone who gets in his way. Orton shows up and says he can appreciate both of their issues with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline, but they put him on the shelf for eighteen months, but Knight says he has yet to be taken out and is bulletproof before calling dibs on Roman. General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and says they all have good points, then announces that in two weeks at New Year's Revolution, Styles, Knight and Orton will compete in a Triple Threat Match to see who faces Roman at Royal Rumble. Styles agrees to this and leaves, but promises to take either of them out if they get close to the ring in his match with Solo Sikoa tonight.

Bianca Belair, Shotzi, Zelina Vega and "Michin" Mia Yim beat Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky, Asuka, Kairi Sane) in a Holiday Havoc eight-woman tag match after Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre come out of boxes and attack Asuka and Kairi Sane.

Backstage, Jimmy Uso gets solo Sikoa fired up for his match with AJ Styles tonight, then Roman Reigns asks Paul Heyman to bring General Manager Nick Aldis to him.

Dragon Lee retains the NXT North American Championship against Butch.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis meets with Roman Reigns in his dressing room. Roman asks Paul Heyman to leave them, then compliments Aldis on his booking ideas before telling him to run it all by him first. Roman says that as head of the table, everything goes through him, and he demands Aldis understand that. Aldis then says that he is an executive with no feelings while Ama Pearce is more of "a middle management type" while he is the sharp end of the stick. He also says Solo Sikoa took care of John Cena in a way that Roman never did and that he looks forward to Solo's match with AJ Styles and the Triple Threat Match to see who faces Roman before telling Roman he looks forward to "more productive dialogue" and getting to know each other better.

Kevin Owens beats Carmelo Hayes to advance to the finals of the United States Championship Tournament. Owens shakes Carmelo's hand after the match.

"Michin" Mia Yim, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson meet up with "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles backstage. Anderson wants to know if they are still good after Styles has failed to keep in touch with them the last few months, to which Styles says "I don't know. Are we?"

We hear from Karrion Kross and Scarlett again. Kross says he knows the power of words and how they lead to action, and how he warned of The Bloodline's implosion. He says that he took away Drew McIntyre's temperament and sent him spiraling out of control, Rey Mysterio's patience to such a degree that he smacked "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio in front of his own mother, and Shinsuke Nakamura's honor. He then says that even the greatest proclamation is soon to be forgotten without a scribe and without authors. After Scarlett says "Do you see the vision?", we see what looks like silhouettes of Paul Ellering and The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar).

Santos Escobar beats Bobby Lashley to advance to the finals of the United States Championship Tournament after two masked men show up out of the crowd and attack The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) at ringside, allowing Escobar to win with a schoolkid pin. After the match, the masked men are revealed to be Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Butch. Butch says he brought the fight, and as he congratulates Dragon Lee, he is met by Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince), who sing about Butch being lonely. This causes Butch to attack them. General Manager Nick Aldis gets involved when officials break up the brawl, and gives Butch a tag match against Pretty Deadly in two weeks.

We hear from Logan Paul, who says that he, but it is now between a man who cried for Rey Mysterio and a man who who will not take his shirt off at the pool. He says Santos Escobar is not on his level and calls Kevin Owens "Reddit as a person." He tells them both to enjoy the temporary clout, as it is all they will get from him.

"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles beats Solo Sikoa by disqualification after he is attacked by Roman Reigns. After the match, Roman lifts Styles up, but takes too long, and Styles fights back with an enzuigiri. Solo gets back in the ring and attacks Styles alongside Roman when Randy Orton runs to the ring and fends them both off before Jimmy Uso shows up to attack Orton from behind. LA Knight then runs to the ring to even the numbers game and clean house. Styles gets angry at bth Knight and Orton afterwards, then fights them both. This leads to all three men going at it in the ring to end the show.

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!