WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS (11/28): Keller’s report on Rusev vs. Jey Uso, LA Knight vs. Mystery Opponent in Cena tournament, Survivor Series style ten-man tag match
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WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
NOVEMBER 28, 2025
DENVER, COL. AT BALL ARENA
AIRED ON USA NETWORK (Taped 11/21)
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Mark Nash
Attendance: WrestleTix reported 11,513 tickets were distributed. The arena was set up for 11,904 spectators. Last time in this arena on Sept. 2, 2024, they drew 11,396.
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Javier Machado to review WWE Smackdown LIVE on YouTube. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
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[HOUR ONE]
-A recap aired of last week’s developments related to the women’s WarGames match at Survivor Series. They showed the arrivals of Rhea Ripley, Charlotte, Solo Siko and the MFTs, and L.A. Knight. Jackie Redmond interviewed Knight backstage who felt he should get a bye because Sheamus suffered an injury. He was irked that he didn’t know who his mystery opponent was yet. He ranted about people stacking the deck against him to prevent him making the ride he is destined to make. He said his mystery opponent will get slapped back to factory settings.
(1) JEY USO vs. RUSEV – Last Time is Now Tournament match
Uso’s ring entrance started in the concourse and then the camera followed him through the crowd to the ring. As Rusev made his entrance, Graves talked about his history with John Cena. The bell rang 11 minutes into the hour. Rusev went after Jey aggressively at the start. They cut to a break at 1:00. [c/db]
Jey avoided a charging Rusev after the break and took Rusev to the mat with a punch. Jey connected with a spear, but Rusev kicked out at one. Jey sat up with a look of disbelief. He leaped off the top rope, but Rusev caught him with a Machka kick for a two count. He applied an Accolade, but Jey reached the bottom rope to force a break. Ruesv lifted Jey for an Attitude Adjustment, but Rusev got cocky and waved his hand in front of his face. Jey escaped and then landed a top rope frog splash for the win.
WINNER: Jey in 9:00 to advance to the semi-finals.
-Miz lobbied G.M. Nick Aldis backstage to face Knight. Aldis said it should be random draw. Miz said he’s a big part of Cena’s history and he should be his final opponent. R-Truth walked into the scene and engaged with Aldis in juvenile jokes about the balls in the hopper. Truth eventually said, “I’ll leave you alone with your balls.” Aldis revealed who he drew and the paper said, “The Miz.”
-Redmond interviewed Damien Priest backstage. Priest said he looked forward to kicking Aleister Black’s ass. Zelina Vega entered the scene and said Black would happy to dish out more punishment. Ripley walked up to Priest said said she has an idea for him. Redmond said she’d let them chat, then left.
(Keller’s Analysis: Once again, the mic that the interviewer holds was exposed as a prop since, when Redmond left, we could still hear Priest and Rhea just the same.)
-A cinematic WrestleMania vignette aired with top women narrated by Paul Levesque with a Las Vegas theme.
(Keller’s Analysis: These look cool, but they are just out of step with the tone of pro wrestling’s presentation. These women aren’t acting a natural setting or in a natural way that you expect wrestlers to be filmed. It’s all so put on for the effect of looking cool. It feels staged. It makes the wrestlers feel like they’re part of a Hollywood production rather than competitors in a sport. There’s a price for that tradeoff that I think is a net-negative.) [c]
-They went to Michael Cole and Corey Graves playing with WWE action figures to promote the action figure line.
-Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre made their entrance for Green’s official U.S. Title Victory Celebration. Green spoke in a grandiose tone about her reign, “the greatest in the history of the North Americas.” She counted down until pyro blasted. Jade Cargill’s music interrupted. Graves said this should be a joyous occasion. Jade kicked Fyre and then attacked Green with a Jaded. Jade’s music then played again and she left the ring. Cole said Jade was putting everyone on notice. Green sat up and threw a hissy-fit. Graves was upset with Jade.
(Keller’s Analysis: Levesque’s booking is so weird. There’s no clear way for fans to feel about Jade. She just turned heel, but then interrupts and dominates Green and Fyre in a way that a babyface would shut up a full-of-themselves, bloviating heel going on and on about themselves.)
-Charlotte and Alexa Bliss chatted with Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. Charlotte said the last time she faced Asuka, she tore her ACL, so she’s going to take care of her tonight. A.J. Lee walked in and said she’s glad Charlotte is confident. She said she’s sure they’re going to win “tomorrow.” (If that aired live in the arena, that had to feel weird to hear Lee saying Survivor Series was “tomorrow.”)
-Another soundbite aired with John Cena saying he was moved to Velicity, a weekend entry-level Saturday show. He said he embraced it and said he’d make it a good run.
(Keller’s Analysis: John Cena’s just an amazing person with a great attitude who offers profound advice and sets an example for everyone everywhere no matter their age or background. He’s a true American hero and unprecedented success story because his attitude and approach to everything shows wisdom beyond his years and, really, beyond anyone else on this planet could ever hope to match.)
-Cole said the full Cena interview will premiere on YouTube after the Dec. 8 Raw. [c
-Redmond ran up to Jade and asked why she did that to Green. Jade said she has a problem with anyone who runs their mouth and that was a message to the entire Women’s Division. She asked anyone with a problem to step up. She crossed pahs with B-Fab. Then Michin walked in and said she might have to step up and check Jade’s attitude.
(2) THE MIZ vs. L.A. KNIGHT – Last Time is Now Tournament quarter-final
Miz’s ring entrance took place. Then Knight’s. The bell rang 47 minutes into the hour. Graves said this is an impossible task for Knight because he had no prep time. (Did Miz have more prep time?) They cut to a break at 2:00 with Miz in control of Knight at ringside. [c]
Miz had Knight in a headlock after the break. Knight came back with a superplex for a near fall at 7:00. Cole said there’d be a traditional Survivor Series match and the final 30 minutes of the show would be commercial free. Cole asked how Graves’s Thanksgiving was. Graves said he’s still half-asleep. Miz side-stepped Knight’s top rope move and turned it into a Skull Crushing Finale for a near fall.
Miz applied an STF. Knight reached the bottom rope to force a break, mirroring the Rusev spot with the Accolade on Jey earlier. The ref caught Miz with his boots on the middle rope for leverage after raking Knight’s eyes. As Miz complained, Knight caught him with his BFT for the win.
WINNER: Knight in 11:00 to advance to the semi-finals
-They showed the brackets featuring Knight vs. Jey uso and Gunther vs. Solo Sikoa in the semi-finals.
-Becky Lynch gave her team a pep talk. She said she didn’t want to shame anyone, but she is the only “girl” on the team with a 100 percent success rate in Warames. Her teammates seemed to be getting their fill of her. Nia Jax said tonight isn’t about Becky. She said Asuka will get the advantage in WarGames over Charlotte. Asuka laughed about taking Charlotte out of action for a full year.
[HOUR TWO]
[c] -Cole and Graves plugged the Survivor Series programming schedule.
-A video package aired on the set-up for the five-on-five match later.
-Redmond interviewed Ilja Dragunov about Tama Tonga getting in his face. As Dragunov addressed Tonga, Tomasso Ciampa barged in and said the only person he should be concerned about is him. Dragunov said he’d think about it and then called him a Jackass.
(3) ASUKA vs. CHARLOTTE – WarGames Advantage match
Asuka made her entrance. Then Charlotte. The bell rang 10 minutes into the hour as Cole touted the title history of both wrestlers. They battled on the ring apron at 1:00 and then cut to a break after Asuka dropped Charlotte. [c]
Back from the break, Charlotte leaped off the top rope with a crossbody onto Asuka for a near fall. Charlotte landed a big boot for a two count at 6:00. Charlotte took Asuka down two minutes later with a clothesline. She followed with a fallaway slam and a kip up. Next, she leaped off the top rope with a moonsault for a two count. Asuka made a comeback. They fought to ringside. Asuka aimed her mist at Charlotte, but Charlotte ducked and the mist hit their time keeper. Charlotte then rammed Asuka into the announce desk and threw her into the ring. She went for a figure-four, but Asuka countered with an Asuka lock. Charlotte escpaed and landed a Natural Selection for a the three count.
WINNER: Charlotte in 11:00 to give the babyface team the advantage at WarGames.
-They showed Solo and his MFTs walking backstage. [c]
-A video package aired on the men’s WarGames match.
(4) SOLO SIKOA & TAMA TONGA & TONGA LOA & TALLA TONGA & J.C. MATEO vs. SAMI ZAYN & SHINSUKE NAKAMURA & THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) & REY FENIX – Survivor Series Elimination matcbh
The bell rang 38 minutes into the hour. Graves talked about Sol0 assembling his MTFs. A few minutes in, Mateo attacked Nakamura after a distraction. When Solo interfered, Sami went after him.
Shelley landed a slidekick to Solo. Sabin then launched to ringside at Talla. Sami and Rey then did a stereo flip dive onto heels at ringside at 7:00. Cole said, “And still no eliminations.” Sabin shortly thereafter scored a three count on Mateo with a jackknife cover.
Tama Tonga avoided a charging Nakamura and then gave him his Cut Throat for a three count to make it four-on-four.
Rey Fenix pinned Tonga Loa a minute later with a leverage pin.
Talla chokeslamemd Shelley on the ring apron and then rolled him into the ring and scored a three count, making it three-on-three.
Talla caught Shelley. Shelley slipped out of his grip and went for a sunset flip. Instead, Talla lifted him by his throat and nailed him with a clothesline for a three count at 12:00.
Graves said Sami can’t like his chances. Talla kicked Sami off the ring apron. Fenix kicked Talla. He then fended off interfere and launched off the top rope with a springboard huracanrana. Graves called it an amazing recovery by Fenix. He dove onto heels at ringside. Back in the ring, Talla clotheslined him for a three count.
That left Sami alone against Solo, Talla, and Tonga. Fans chanted for Sami. Sami took beating for two minutes.Sami landed a sudden Helluva Kick on Tama for a three count.
Sami avoided a charging Talla at ringside and Talla tumbled over the ringside barricade into the time keeper’s area. Sami rolled into the ring and beat the count, but Talla didn’t, so he was eliminated.
That left Solo vs. Sami. Solo gave Sami two Spinning Solos for a near fall. They battled back and forth for a while. Sami hit an exploder suplex, but then ran into a Solo kick. Sami ducked a Solo Spike and rolled up Solo for a near fall. Solo fired back with a sudden Solo Spike that connected for a three count.
WINNERS: Solo & The MFTs when Solo was the sole survivor in 21:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Solid execution of the five-on-five elimination match. No surprise they protected Talla by having him get counted out rather than pinned or submitted.)
-As Solo celebrated, the lights went out and the fireflies came out. Then the Wyatt Sicks, sans Uncle Howdy, stood on the ring apron. Howdy came up behind Solo and gave him a Sister Abigail to end the show.
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by PWTorch’s Javier Machado to review WWE Smackdown LIVE on YouTube. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE
LINK TO BE A CALLER: https://streamyard.com/ngb5vgsvq5
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine).
OPEN TO EVERYONE – LINK TO WATCH LIVE RIGHT AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN TONIGHT: CLICK HERE
