Time for your 10 November 2023 SmackDown recap and analysis. It's the follow-up show to Crown Jewel and LA Knight fans are eager to see what's next after his loss to Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel. The WWE has already announced what look to be some solid segments including:

-LA Knight battles Grayson Waller

-Bobby Lashley battles the LWO's Carlito

-Bayley addresses the future of Damage-CTRL

Tonight's SmackDown is coming from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Quickie Recap (Full Analysis Follows)

Bobby Lashley pinned Carlito

Dragon Lee pinned Cedric Alexander

LA Knight pinned Grayson Waller

Damage-CTRL (Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane, and Bayley) vs Charlotte Flair, Asuka, and Bianca Belair ended with the heels apparently losing by disqualification after they refused to listen to the referee's five-count. Asuka turned heel, betraying her team.

Kevin Owens provides guest commentary as Corey Graves and Carmella are celebrating the birth of their new son. Michael Cole and Kevin Patrick send their love to Carmella, Corey, and their new baby.

The Latino World Order is in the ring. Rey Mysterio says he’s going to cut to the chase and discuss his U.S. title loss to Logan Paul. Mysterio tells the fans everyone knows Logan stole the title. Rey says if Logan didn’t have the brass knuckles, he wouldn’t be U.S. Champion.

Carlito’s music plays and he grabs the microphone. Carlito says nobody wants to see Rey as U.S. Champion more than him. Carlos says don’t blame Logan for using the brass knuckles but the person who left them on the mat apron—Santos Escobar. Those are fighting words and the LWO keep Santos and Carlito apart. Santos bails on the LWO as Rey and Zelina Vega follow him. The rest of the LWO argue with Carlito.

Bobby Lashley (with The Street Profits) vs. Carlito:

It’s a classic match of speed vs strength. However, while Carlito doesn’t have the same power as Lashley, he’s no cream puff and he takes the fight to “The All Mighty.” The action spills out of the ring where Lashley rams Carlito’s head into the steel steps. Lashley drives Carlito into the security barricade as things break down. The Street Profits cheer Lashley on as he drives Carlito into the steel post.

Backstage, B-Fab watches Bobby Lashley’s match until Hit Row member Ashante asks her what she’s doing and she leaves.

Back in the ring, Carlito and Bobby Lashley are fighting. The Street Profits and the LWO begin brawling outside the ring, distracting Carlito and allowing Lashley to catch him with the Spear. Lashley covers him for the pin.

Winner: Bobby Lashley

Afterwards, The Street Profits and Lashley attack Carlito. Santos Escobar watches by idly. Rey runs in with a chair for the save then confronts Escobar about why he stood by. Rey tells Santos everyone in the LWO is family. Rey checks on Carlito only for Escobar to blindside him. Santos gets in Rey’s face only for Rey to slap him silly.

Things are just heating up as Santos renews his attack on Rey. Santos says he looked up to Rey. Escobar seems to be blaming Rey.  

Rating: Good. The match was nothing special but helped further the breakdown between Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar. This was unusual in that the WWE didn't spend months building up Escobar's turn. If you've been watching SmackDown, there weren't any signs of Santos resenting Rey, but the possibility was always there as Mysterio took Escobar's U.S. Championship match after Austin Theory laid Escobar out. If the WWE has Santos give an explanation for his turn that makes sense in hindsight, this should be an interesting feud going forward.

Cathy Kelly asks Santos why he attacked Escobar only for Santos to say “He had it coming.”

A video airs showing highlights from the Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky match at Crown Jewel and Kairi Sane’s shocking return.

It’s Bayley! “The Role Model” enters the ring and she doesn’t look happy. Bayley tells the fans they saw what happened. She tells the fans she’s had a vision for Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai since she formed Damage-CTRL and everything she planned came true—the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, Ms. Money in the Bank, and the WWE Women’s Championship. The fans give Bayley the “What?” treatment. Bayley says Crown Jewel should have been Damage-CTRL’s proudest moment. Instead, Kairi Sane ruined things. Bayley asks Iyo Sky to come to the ring.

Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai make their way to the ring but they’re not alone—Kairi Sane is with them.

Iyo tells Bayley she had a plan too—keeping the title. Isn’t that what Bayley wanted. Bayley asks what Sane is doing out there and has the production truck play video of when Bayley beat Kairi Sane senseless in 2020 and sent her packing. Dakota tells Bayley they brought Kairi in, not to hurt Bayley but to take some of the weight off her. Kairi Sane says she recognizes Bayley as the leader of Damage-CTRL and she forgives her. Sane offers her a hug but Bayley says she’s not a hugger anymore. Bayley gives a reluctant hug after Dakota and Iyo embrace her.

Bianca Belair shows up and she’s not there for a hug. She says Kairi might forgive Bayley but she doesn’t. Bianca says she learns from her mistakes aand she’s not alone. Asuka shows up. Looks like we’ve got an impromptu six-woman tag match.

Rating: Good. This was the followup to Crown Jewel fans wanted to see as Bayley called out Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane. Incredibly, everything was smoothed over which wrestling fans know is just the proverbial lull before the storm. Kudos to Bayley for effectively dealing with the "What?" chants, a reminder of her microphone skills.

A Hype Video Airs for Dragon Lee

The WWE airs a video honoring America's veterans. The video ends showing the ginormous American flag atop Titan Tower.

Dragon Lee vs Cedric Alexander

Cedric Alexander is looking to get his win back against Dragon Lee. A fast-paced match that gives Alexander a chance to remind fans about what he brings to the ring. As for Dragon Lee, all it takes are a few minutes and it’s clear he’s got a rocket strapped to his back. The problem is that Cedric isn’t giving Lee time to mount his offense. Finally, a misstep by Alexander gives Lee time to rebound and he takes the fight to Lee, sending him out of the ring before diving out after him. Powerbomb on Alexander for a near-fall. Lee runs after Alexander only for Cedric to launch him into the corner. The two men begin exchanging punches. A “This is awesome” chant breaks out. Cedric goes after Lee only to walk into a superkick. Michinoku Driver surprises Lee for a near-fall. Series of near falls. After some dicey spots, Lee hits his finisher and cover Alexander for the 1-2-3.

Winner: Dragon Lee

Both men had some exciting spots but they also blundered their way through the match, making this look like an old episode of AEW Dark at times.

LA Knight Promo

LA Knight tells the fans that Crown Jewel didn’t turn out the way he wanted. Knight says he could say he’s sorry and that he didn’t live up to the expectations. LA Knight says he did everything he said he was going to do. He came within an inch of beating Roman Reigns. He hit the BFT on Roman and had him down for the 1-2-3 except for the interference of Jimmy Uso. LA Knight says he was robbed and tells Roman to give Jimmy Uso. Knight says he’s not done with Roman Reigns or the Bloodline and he won’t be done until he’s WWE Champion.

Grayson Waller interrupts LA Knight. He tells him he’s blaming everyone but himself. Waller tells LA Knight that maybe he’s not the guy. LA Knight calls Grayson Waller “Kangaroo Jackass.” Waller asks LA Knight “Do you really think you belong in the ring with Roman Reigns?” LA Knight looks at the fans before asking the fans, “The Grayson Waller Effect, that sounds like a STD.”

Knight reminds the fans that Grayson got dropped by a Saudi movie star at Crown Jewel and he’s got the nerve to ask him if he belongs in the ring with Roman Reigns. Knight continues insulting Waller telling him he got himself into trouble on social media with his incel energy. Now, Waller finds himself in the ring with a very angry man who is going to take his anger out on Waller. Knight wallops Waller before throwing him out of the ring. Knight grabs a water bottle outside the ring and empties it on Waller.

A hype video airs for the War Games match. Survivor Series: War Games is just two weeks away and WrestleLamia will have you covered, including predictions, news and rumors, and our exclusive analysis of the show.

Rating: Good. This was the ideal way to have LA Knight acknowledge his defeat but make it clear he was robbed at Crown Jewel and he's far from finished with Roman Reigns. Putting Knight into a match against Grayson Waller should keep Knight busy for the time being.

Grayson Waller vs LA Knight

These two are no strangers to each other, having battle in NXT. Although the commentators don’t mention it, WrestleLamia doesn’t forget. Knight starts off strong, taking Waller apart with a methodical style that features LA Knight’s usual mix of strikes and occasional technical moves such as the neckbreaker. Waller shows some of the sweet science, flooring LA Knight with a big right hand before unloading with punch after punch. Knight shows some punches of his own. Knight back body drops Waller over the top rope. Baseball slide sends Waller into the announce booth. Knight rams Grayson’s noggin into the announce table several times. Knight slides into the ring to break the count but when he steps out of the ring, Waller catches him, throwing him into the announce table. Guest announcer Kevin Owens berates Waller for having too many sparkles on his ring outfit.

The match returns joined in progress as Waller is in control. Waller slows things down with a Half Boston Crab. Knight moves towards the ropes, leading to Grayson stomping Knight in the back. Waller goes to the middle rope and lands a flying elbow on Knight. Near-fall by the big man from Australia. Waller goes for another flying elbow but Knight ducks out of the way. Back suplex by Knight onto Waller. Both men are down and slow to get up. Knight peppers Grayson with punches, flooring Waller. Clothesline to Waller. Russian Leg Sweep. DDT as Knight covers Waller for a two-count. Series of knees to the face by Waller. Waller dives after Knight but Knight catches him. LA Knight drops the elbow on Waller and hits the BFT.

Winner: LA Knight

After the match, Knight celebrates, making it clear he’s still looking for championship gold.

Kevin Owens takes everyone on a trip down memory lane to two weeks ago when he floored both Austin Theory and Grayson Waller with one punch.

Rating: Good. Strong match with a clean finish. The WWE gave LA Knight his momentum back with a win over Waller. It also opened the door for a future tag team match with LA Knight and KO against Waller and Theory.

Charlotte Flair, Asuka, and Bianca Belair are seen backstage.

The WWE airs another video honoring veterans who have won the Medal of Honor.

The WWE airs a SmackDown rewind showing John Cena's 27 June 2002 debut on SmackDown.

The WWE airs a video recap of John Cena's epic bout against Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel. Despite Cena's best efforts, he came up short as Sikoa delivered 3,431,924 Samoan Spikes to Cena before covering him for the win. The announcers leave things open whether John Cena's career is over.

Next week will see the return of Solo Sikoa.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller come out to the announce table to confront Kevin Owens. Michael Cole reminds Kevin that he could be suspended if he leaves the announce table. The heels empty a water bottle on Owens. KO can let that go but he can't let things go when the heels throw the empty water bottle at Kevin Patrick. The heels try to double team KO but he scares Theory out of the ring then hits a Stunner on Grayson Waller.

Backstage, Jimmy Uso talks trash to the camera, telling LA Knight if he wants him, he got him. Next week it's Jimmy Uso vs LA Knight. However, what did Roman Reigns tell Jimmy Uso on the phone? 

Six-Woman Tag Match. Damage-CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane) with Dakota Kai  vs Asuka, Charlotte Flair, and Bianca Belair:

Bayley vs Bianca starts the match. Bianca starts off strong, leading to Bayley taking a powder. Back from commercial, it's Bianca vs Kairi Sane. Damage-CTRL play the numbers game to get the advantage on "The -EST" and keep her isolated from her teammates. Bianca is in the heel corner and Damage-CTRL pummel her as the babyfaces watch on helplessly. Belair does her best to fight all of Damage-CTRL but it's an uphill battle. Belair catches Bayley with a big right but she can't make it to the tag thanks to Damage-CTRL dragging Charlotte off the mat apron. Spinebuster to Bayley. Bianca goes for the hot tag to Belair but Asuka withdraws her hand. Mist to Belair. Asuka hits a roundhouse kick on Belair before embracing Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky. The ladies welcome Bayley and she joins them. Charlotte runs in but she can't beat the numbers game.

Winners: Asuka, Charlotte Flair, and Bianca Belair (by disqualification)

Shotzi runs in only to get beat down for her trouble. The heels deliver a beating to everyone in sight.

Damage-CTRL looks stronger than ever as Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Bayley, Kairi Sane, and Asuka celebrate in the ring.

Rating: Good. This match was all about Asuka's heel turn, which wasn't a surprise in light of the rumors that Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane would have someone joining their group. The WWE just raised the stakes with an even more powerful Damage-CTRL and now fans have to wonder what babyfaces there are to stand up to five of the WWE's most ruthless stars.

Show Analysis: 

Good

A Strong Follow-Up to Crown Jewel

The WWE wasted no time following up on some major angles from Saturday's show in Saudi Arabia, including LA Knight's loss to Roman Reigns, the apparent rift in Damage-CTRL, and Rey Mysterio's disappointing loss to Logan Paul. While Triple H likes to let storylines play out, there was no reason not to follow up immediately and surprisingly, things didn't seem rushed.

The Announce Crew Send Carmella and Corey Some Love

Corey Graves missed tonight's SmackDown since Carmella gave birth earlier to their baby boy. Michael Cole and Kevin Patrick made certain the WWE Universe knew that Corey had a good reason to be missing as they congratulated him and Carmella on their long-awaited bundle of joy.

Kevin Owens Aces It as an Announcer

Kevin Owens did an outstanding job as a guest commentator tonight, providing some useful insight into the matches as well as some occasional humor. KO also called the action from the perspective of a wrestler, admitting that he too would have clobbered Rey Mysterio with the brass knuckles if he found himself with an opportunity to win the U.S. Championship.

Bad

What Survivor Series?

Is Survivor Series a RAW exclusive event? Survivor Series is just two weeks away and yet there was no mention of any SmackDown matches for the event. WrestleLamia has a good feeling we'll find out on next week's SmackDown but didn't the WWE at least book one match or drop some hints?

The Downright Ugly

Nothing ugly about tonight's SmackDown. The blue brand featured a well-booked show that made the best out of its two hours. Although there were only four matches, the WWE told many stories in between.