SmackDown opened with a video recapping the events of Survivor Series before we got the usual shots of people walking backstage. Nick Aldis was shown telling Drew McIntyre he was still suspended and ordered him to leave, but Cody Rhodes attacked him in his truck.

TheSportster’s rating system will take a look across the entire card of SmackDown this week to determine the best match of the night, the worst on the show, and how everything else ranked up in between.

Gunther defeated LA Knight Friday night on WWE SmackDown and will now face John Cena in his retirement match at Saturday Night's Main Event. Here are all the results and highlights from the show in Austin,

This is Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage for "WWE SmackDown" on December 5, 2025, with The Last Time Is Now Tournament finals between GUNTHER & LA Knight!

With Gunther appearing on the blue brand's show, the Triple H-led creative team could tease a match between him and the United States Champion, Ilja Dragunov. The bitter rivals previously collided at NXT TakeOver: 36, where The Mad Dragon dethroned The Ring General as NXT UK Champion.

The women's WarGames match got a major facelift after the final two superstars for both teams were revealed. Former women's intercontinental champion Becky Lynch joined Nia Jax's team, while AJ Lee sided with Rhea Ripley and company.

John Cena has heavily emphasized shining a spotlight on the future of the WWE and we now know the next step in making that happen.