“SmackDown” gave us a traditional Survivor Series tag team elimination match in the main event on Friday, the day before Survivor Series (Saturday on ESPN Unlimited, 7:00 p.m. ET), which features two WarGames matches but no traditional Survivor Series tag team matches, and I'm grateful for that (more below).
We also saw a surprise opponent for LA Knight as Sheamus had to pull out of The Last Time Is Now due to a shoulder injury, as well as another tournament match.
And to top it all off, Charlotte Flair and Asuka met to decide who would get the edge in Saturday's WarGames match.
Friday SmackDown Results
• Jey Uso, defense. Rusev at The Last Time Is Now tournament
• L.A. Knight def. The Miz at the Last Time Now tournament
• Charlotte Flair def. Asuka
• MFT Definitions. Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rey Phoenix and The Motor City Machine Guns in a traditional Survivor Series 5-on-5 elimination match
Why Sikoa's win makes sense
EVERYONE FALLS! 😳 pic.twitter.com/VEbn2LzCHU
— WWE (@WWE) November 29, 2025
It made sense for Solo Sikoa to not only win the traditional Survivor Series elimination match, but also become the sole survivor by pinning Sami Zayn. Sikoa is still competing in The Last Time Is Now, so it made sense for him to get a big win heading into Monday's match on Raw and continue his path to becoming Cena's final opponent on December 13th. Sikoa also took revenge on Zane, putting their rivalry aside for the time being. After the match, Wyatt Sicks interfered, striking fear into Sikoa as Wyatts/MFT were always on a collision course. Are Wyatts Solo worth a match on Raw in the tournament?
Other conclusions/storylines
• Charlotte Flair pinned Asuka, giving Team Flair the numerical advantage in Saturday's WarGames match. It will start one on one, but after five minutes a member of Flair's team will be allowed to join. The numbers will always favor Flair's team as members of alternating teams join the match at five-minute intervals until all five members of both teams are in the cage and the “Outside Match” begins. I still feel like Becky Lynch and AJ Lee will be the focus of this match, with Lynch pinning Lee, eventually setting up their singles match (or series, with one at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas?).
Come on, come on @mikethemiz!!
We saw it… 😡 pic.twitter.com/01G9Z3FgyT
— WWE (@WWE) November 29, 2025
• The Miz sneaking into The Last Time Is Now to replace Sheamus may have upset some WWE fans hoping for a bigger surprise, but it made sense. The Miz defeated John Cena at WrestleMania 27 in 2011, and the two have a rich history together. Miz would like to end Cena's career with a loss, but it's a moot point because Miz lost her match against L.A. Knight. Gunter is still my favorite to win the tournament. I'm still wondering if there's one more step beyond this before we get a final set of Cena opponents.
“I am honored to be the greatest women's champion ever…”@Jade_Cargill I told you what would happen if you said it again @ImChelseaGreen 😬 pic.twitter.com/wJIAnu8cTs
— WWE (@WWE) November 29, 2025
• Chelsea Green did so much and so little during her planned North American celebration. Immediately after Green began the countdown for the “pyrotechnic show”, Jade Cargill stormed into the ring and attacked Green. As Green was recovering, pyrotechnics went off as Cargill posed near the entrance. Green is one of the best in WWE when it comes to reflexes. It was a funny moment, and also a very logical one, which complements Green's excellent presentation.
• Having a Survivor Series match on SmackDown was a good idea. Survivor Series is the weakest concept among the top tier premium events, and WarGames was a welcome addition to the event. Survivor Series sometimes lacks stakes and uniqueness – we see a lot of multi-man matches and elimination matches throughout the year, so even with the Survivor Series label, it doesn't feel like anything special.
In contrast, War Games (much like Elimination Chamber and Battle Royale) happen once a year, so they maintain an aura of rarity and excitement. WarGames doesn't have the same level of high stakes as the Rumble (winner gets a title shot at WrestleMania) and Elimination Chamber (often the same stipulations for another title or even a title on the line), but that possibility is always there in the future. This year, however, I'm invested enough to want to watch Saturday's WarGames matches.
