WWE Friday Night SmackDown December 16, 2011 Results

The tables are set for Orton vs. Barrett.

Two nights before WWE TLC, the 643rd edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown came to you from the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC. Two nights before they face off at WWE TLC in their respective matches, “The Viper” Randy Orton teams with “The Long Island Iced Z” Zack Ryder to face the team of Wade Barrett and United States Champion Dolph Ziggler. Plus, after Big Show assaulted Mark Henry with a steel chair last week, what will take place two nights before these two behemoths square off in a Chairs Match with the World Heavyweight Title on the line this Sunday at WWE TLC?

Match Results

• Non-Title: Booker T Banned: Cody Rhodes def. Daniel Bryan by pin following Cross Rhodes.
• Alicia Fox def. Natalya by roll-up.
• Primo & Epico (with Rosa Mendes) def. Jimmy & Jey Uso by Primo pinning Jimmy Uso following the Back Stabber.
• Big Show def. Jack Swagger by pin following the W.M.D.
• Ted DiBiase def. Heath Slater by pin following Dream Street.
• Sheamus def. Jinder Mahal by pin following the Brogue Kick.
• Randy Orton & Zack Ryder def. Wade Barrett & Dolph Ziggler by Randy Orton pinning Dolph Ziggler following the RKO.

Detailed Results

Two nights before he comes out of retirement to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Title at WWE TLC, the show kicks off with a special interview with the six-time World Champion Booker T. SmackDown colleague Josh Mathews asks Booker if he is ready to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Title at WWE TLC. Booker says that he did not want to have to fight, saying that he wanted to move on to the next stage of his career and be a commentator alongside Mathews, adding “to hell with Michael Cole”. Booker continues that the whole situation is about Rhodes needing a “legitimizer” and he will be damned if Rhodes legitimizes himself off of Booker T and he will soon be the new Intercontinental Champion. Mathews then asks the burning question that, if Booker does win the Intercontinental Title this Sunday, will Booker return to the ring full-time. Booker says that he will cross that bridge when he comes to it before vowing that Cody Rhodes will get the “beat down of his life” at WWE TLC.

Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes then interrupts, telling Booker T that Booker is telling a “lovely piece of fiction” and, this Sunday, Booker’s in-ring return will trigger thoughts of nostalgia. Rhodes continues that, if it was a movie, then Booker would win the title, but it is not a movie. Rhodes then says that the “reality” is that Booker will fall to him at WWE TLC before revealing that SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long has ruled that, after Booker interfered twice in his matches against Daniel Bryan last week and on Tribute To The Troops, if Booker interferes in their third match, then the GM will take Booker’s title opportunity away!

After WWE TLC opponent Booker T interfered in their match last week and on Tribute to the Troops, the opening match of the night saw Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes went one-on-one with “Mr. Money-in-the-Bank” Daniel Bryan, with Booker T banned from interfering and, if he does, he will have his Intercontinental Title match taken away. In the end, it was Cody Rhodes hitting the Cross Rhodes on Daniel Bryan en route to picking up the win. Can Cody Rhodes do the same thing to Booker T this Sunday at WWE TLC to retain the Intercontinental Title or will the returning legend, Booker T, use his veteran advantage to become the new Intercontinental Champion?

The Divas were in action on SmackDown as the self-proclaimed Pin-Up Strong Natalya went one-on-one with Alicia Fox. In the end, it was Alicia Fox catching Natalya with a roll-up en route to picking up the win, not to mention pulling Natalya’s hair extensions out in the process. After the match, Alicia Fox tells Natalya that she is “so synthetic, it’s pathetic” before saying that Natalya should go to the back and have a good cry because Natalya just got “out-Foxed”. An angry Natalya then re-enters the ring, but Alicia Fox blocks a kick by Natalya, taking Natalya down and hitting her somersault leg drop on the Pin-Up Strong Diva. How will Natalya respond to being embarrassed by Alicia Fox?

Backstage, World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry confronts Jack Swagger, telling Swagger that if Swagger hurts Big Show with “malice”, then Swagger will be first in line for a World Heavyweight Title match. However, Swagger tells “The World’s Strongest Champion” that he will hurt Big Show, but he will do it because he wants to and he will be a future World Heavyweight Champion regardless.

After picking up a big non-title win over WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom at the Tribute to the Troops, Primo & Epico, with Rosa Mendes, faced Jimmy & Jey Uso in tag team action. In the end, it was a timely distraction by Rosa Mendes that allowed Primo to take advantage, hitting the Back Stabber on Jimmy Uso en route to picking up another big win.

Two nights before he challenges Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Title in a Chairs Match at WWE TLC, “The World’s Largest Athlete” Big Show went one-on-one with a familiar rival in “The All-American American” Jack Swagger, with Vickie Guerrero in his corner. As soon as the match begins, however, World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry comes out with steel chair in hand as the champion takes a seat at ringside. After fighting out of the ankle lock by Jack Swagger, Big Show blasts Jack Swagger with the W.M.D. en route to picking up the win. After the match, Big Show sends Swagger out of the ring, where Mark Henry picks up his chair and waffles Swagger on the back with it before the World Heavyweight Champion lays out on unsuspecting camera man with a chair shot to the back! Mark Henry then makes his exit as Big Show shouts at the champion, calling him a “coward”. Big Show then checks on the downed camera man, calling for assistance as EMT’s and referees tends to Swagger and the camera man. What will happen this Sunday at WWE TLC when chairs are legal in the Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Title?

“The Leader of the DiBiase Posse” was in action on SmackDown as Ted DiBiase went one-on-one with Heath Slater. In the end, it was Ted DiBiase hitting Dream Street on Heath Slater en route to picking up the win. Immediately after the match, Jinder Mahal blasts Ted DiBiase from behind before locking in the camel clutch on DiBiase. However, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long comes out and announces an impromptu opponent for Jinder Mahal as Jinder would go one-on-one with Sheamus.

After Sheamus blasted Jinder Mahal with the Brogue Kick before their match could begin on RAW, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long made the impromptu match, forcing Jinder Mahal to face “The Great White” Sheamus. In the end, it was Sheamus blasting Jinder Mahal with the Brogue Kick en route to picking up the win.

With tables set up at ringside, it was time for the main event as, two nights before he faces Wade Barrett in a Tables Match at WWE TLC, “The Viper” Randy Orton teams with “The Long Island Iced Z” Zack Ryder to face Wade Barrett and United States Champion Dolph Ziggler, with Vickie Guerrero in their corner. In the end, it was Randy Orton hitting the RKO on Dolph Ziggler en route to picking up the win for himself and Zack Ryder as Wade Barrett finds himself frozen by the glare of “The Viper”. What will happen this Sunday at WWE TLC when Randy Orton and Wade Barrett go one-on-one in a Tables Match, where the only way to win is to put your opponent through a table?

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