WWE’s blue brand is live tonight from “The Lone Star State,” as the road to WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in a couple of weeks continues with the December 5, 2025 episode of WWE SmackDown from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
On tap for tonight’s two-hour WWE on USA Network primetime program is Gunther vs. LA Knight in the finals of “The Last Time Is Now” tournament to determine John Cena’s WWE retirement match opponent, Cody Rhodes will address what is next for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Ilja Dragunov will continue his WWE U.S. Championship Open Challenge series, Solo Sikoa will address The Wyatt Sicks, plus WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill vs. Alba Fyre, and Alexa Bliss vs. Kairi Sane.
Featured below are complete WWE SmackDown results from Friday, December 5, 2025. The report was written by PWMania.com reporter Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) as the show aired from 8-10pm EST. on the USA Network.
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS – DECEMBER 5, 2025
“WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” gets things started as always. We then shoot inside the Moody Center, where we see various WWE Superstar arrival shots.
Nick Aldis Kicks Drew McIntyre Out Of The Building
We see Drew McIntyre exiting a white truck, when WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis stops him with security. They argue and Drew says he won at WarGames, he’s not suspended. Aldis tells him he is still suspended and to leave.
Drew says he will leave but not for Aldis, for the security because he doesn’t want to hurt them. He gets in the car but in comes Cody Rhodes from the passenger side and he hits Drew, raking him in the eyes. WWE security breaks it up and they hold Cody off as Drew drives away.
Cody Rhodes Kicks Things Off
Rhodes continues walking with a purpose, as Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary remind us of the attack he suffered at the hands of Drew McIntyre on his ‘American Nightmare’ tour bus. The camera follows a worked-up Rhodes as he walks through the halls.
He continues straight through Gorilla Position, as his familiar theme hits and the crowd explodes. He doesn’t stop and pose. He doesn’t acknowledge fans on his way to the ring. He makes a beeline for the squared circle, where he settles inside and grabs a microphone.
Rhodes talks about McIntyre being a cockroach and pulls a line from The Godfather about him breaking an unwritten rule when he attacked him on his tour bus, “where his wife sleeps and his kids play with their toys.” He tells Nick Aldis to reinstate him immediately so he can deal with him.
The Terror Twins To Battle Aleister Black & Zelina Vega Next Week
A pre-taped vignette is shown featuring new comments, direct-to-camera, from Damian Priest. He talks, as clips are shown, of the attack he suffered at the hands of Aleister Black and Zelina Vega, including the fireball being thrown in his face. Rhea Ripley appears with Priest and The Terror Twins will face Black and Vega next week.
WWE United States Championship (Open Challenge)
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes
From there, we shift gears and head backstage. We see #DIY and Candice LeRae talking among themselves while they are still in possession of Axiom’s mask. Tommaso Ciampa makes it clear he’s not a jackass, and that it’s time for the U.S. title shot that he deserves.
Carmelo Hayes walks up and tells Ciampa he’s gonna have to wait, because he’s “got next.” With that said, we return inside the Moody Center to the sounds of Ilja Dragunov’s entrance tune. Out comes “The Mad Dragon” for his latest WWE United States Championship Open Challenge.
As he settles inside the squared circle for our opening match of the evening, the show heads into a quick pre-match commercial break. The show returns to Carmelo Hayes’ theme hitting. The former NXT Champion emerges and makes his way to the ring.
The bell sounds and this one gets officially off-and-running. Like most Dragunov U.S. title open challenge matches, this one is physical, and from the word ‘go.’ After some good, fast-paced, hard-hitting back-and-forth opening action, we see Dragunov send Hayes out to the floor, where Hayes looks to have hurt his leg.
As he recovers on the floor at ringside, the show shifts gears and heads into a mid-match commercial break.
