Friday Night SmackDown: Tribute to the Troops Review - December 8, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Santos Escobar def. Dragon Lee in a United States Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match

It was wise to kick off the show with this match. Their original encounter at Survivor Series was enjoyable but didn't reach the level I know they're capable of. I was hoping they'd have the chance to go all out here, but again they felt a tad limited. Nonetheless, it was a well-wrestled opener. Dominik Mysterio was at ringside because Lee will be challenging him for the NXT North American Championship at Deadline on Saturday night, and while he didn't directly interference, I believe his distraction was what cost Lee the win so he didn't lose clean.

Cody Rhodes Introduced the U.S. Army Drill Team

Rhodes' appearance was added to the show earlier in the day, so I can't imagine many people thought he'd be doing anything more than what he did here. Yes, he's a Raw Superstar, but he's had enough appearances on SmackDown in recent months that I'm not bothered because the Brand Split means nothing. He was the perfect person to pay tribute to the troops and introduce the U.S. Army Drill Team. The whole thing was well done.

Bobby Lashley def. Karrion Kross in a United States Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament Quarterfinal Match

This marked Kross' first televised appearance in almost four months, and although there were rumblings among fans that he might receive a renewed push upon his return, he was back to being booked like a stepping stone here. He and Lashley had a solid albeit underwhelming match that ended in roughly five minutes. Lashley has been a heel alongside The Street Profits, but he was a total babyface in front this crowd due to his army background. There's no reason to believe things will turn around for Kross anytime soon.

CM Punk Addressed the Audience and Put the WWE Roster on Notice

This was the promo we should've gotten from Punk in his first WWE promo back on Raw last week. It was everything it needed to be in that he didn't get his time cut, he addressed multiple potential rivals and allies, acknowledged his ultimate goal of winning the Royal Rumble and headlining WrestleMania, and even made a not-so-subtle AEW reference about punching people backstage. He teased which brand he'll sign with, but we all know it will be Raw and that they'll made it official on Monday night. This was great stuff.

Asuka def. Charlotte Flair

I'm sure I've said this before, but I'd be content if I never saw another Asuka vs. Flair match again. They have strong chemistry together and have for five years, but I'm beyond ready for Flair and company to move on from feuding with Damage CTRL. The match was going fine until a real bad botch occurred during the commercial break where Flair fell off the ropes and seemed to hurt her knee and possibly her neck. They rushed to the finish soon after that and Flair had to be helped out by medical personnel. Hopefully she's okay, but it definitely came off like she suffered a serious injury.

Randy Orton and LA Knight def. The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa)

It's wild how popular both Orton and Knight are at the moment. They worked wonderfully together as partners, and while there was nothing out of the ordinary about the action, the crowd was hot for everything the two of them did. When that's the case, a crowd can turn a formulaic main event such as this one and make it fun. Knight's endorsement from Orton at the end keeps him rolling.

Overall Show

Being in attendance for this show was such a blast, despite it being just "good" if you watched it on television. The WWE product is hot right now and it reflects when you experience their shows in person, especially with how over some of their top babyfaces are. Punk's promo and backstage segments were easily the best parts of the night, but the main event delivered and the U.S. title tourney is underway. It was a Tribute to the Troops episode, so you have to grade it on a slight curve. Roman Reigns will be back next Friday night, so hopefully we'll get an idea of what the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match will be at the Royal Rumble.

SEE MORE: SmackDown Reviews, Tribute to the Troops Reviews