WWE SmackDown Live Coverage 11/29 - Carmelo Hayes Collides With Cody Rhodes, Men's WarGames Advantage Match

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage for "WWE SmackDown" on November 29, 2024, coming to you from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah!

Carmelo Hayes will be competing in his first televised match since unsuccessfully challenging LA Knight for the United States Championship in a Triple Threat Match at WWE Crown Jewel on November 2 as he collides with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes in non-title action. Following a tense verbal confrontation with former friend Kevin Owens during last Friday's edition of "SmackDown", Rhodes encountered Hayes backstage and the two found themselves involved in a heated confrontation with the former having overheard the latter talking about him.

Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and CM Punk will be going head-to-head with Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Jacob Fatu, and Bronson Reed in the Men's WarGames match tomorrow night at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames. Before they all come face-to-face inside the two rings and steel cage, Jey and Jacob will be squaring off with each other to determine which of their team gets the advantage of sending members in first. Meanwhile, Reigns will be having a chat with Punk tonight after Paul Heyman revealed him to be the fifth member of their team last week.

The next competitor to advance in the tournament to crown the inaugural Women's United States Championship will be revealed tonight, as Michin takes on Piper Niven and Lash Legend in a Triple Threat Match. As of writing, Chelsea Green and Bayley have both advanced to the next round of the tournament having each won Triple Threat matches of their own over the course of the last couple weeks.

Additionally, Shinsuke Nakamura will be returning to action for the first time since his return to WWE on the November 15 episode of "SmackDown" ahead of his United States Championship match against titleholder LA Knight tomorrow night as he goes one-on-one with Andrade.

We are live! The show kicks off with a video recapping the confrontation between the old Bloodline and new Bloodline last week, as well as Paul Heyman's return and CM Punk's reveal as the fifth member of the old Bloodline's WarGames team.

Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet audiences at home as Bianca Belair, Naomi, IYO SKY, Bayley, and Rhea Ripley all make their way out to the ring.

Ripley says it's obvious that not everyone standing in the ring with her is the best of friends, but none of that matters because tomorrow night, they all step into WarGames. She says that her and everyone else in the ring have someone they want to get their hands on, and when they step into the cage together, no one will stop them from brutalizing Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Tiffany Stratton, and Candice LeRae.

Naomi says that Jax and her lap dogs will get everything they deserve because they have been nothing but a pain in hers and Bayley's sides. Belair agrees with Naomi and says Morgan, Rodriguez, Jax, Stratton, and LeRae will all pay for taking out Jade Cargill last week no matter who it actually was. SKY then tells the five women that they will destroy them.

Morgan's music hits and she makes her way down alongside Rodriguez, Jax, Stratton, and LeRae. Morgan mocks Ripley, Belair, SKY, Naomi, and Bayley's confidence, and Jax tries to sow seeds of dissension amongst all of them by reminding them all of their issues with each other over the years. Bayley tells Jax that she's been manipulating Stratton and LeRae won't fall for anything she'll try, then says she won't have any friends after WarGames. Jax says Bayley knows something about having no friends. Morgan points out that it's convenient Bayley took Cargill's spot on her WarGames team, but Ripley tells her that she'll have nowhere to run tomorrow night in WarGames. Morgan admits that Ripley is right, but she'll put her money where her mouth is and break Ripley's face on the Steel Cage. Ripley returns the sentiment and says Dominik Mysterio won't want to look at her when she's done with her tomorrow night.

Rodriguez, Jax, Stratton, and LeRae look to attack Ripley, SKY, Naomi, Belair, and Bayley, but Morgan stops them and says they aren't falling for it. Ripley, SKY, Naomi, Belair, and Bayley then blindside Morgan, Rodriguez, Jax, Stratton, and LeRae on the entrance ramp. Officials then run down to the ring and pull the ten women apart.

Andrade then makes his way down to the ring. Shinsuke Nakamura follows.

The bell rings and the two lock up. Andrade connects with a crossbody off the middle rope and goes for a pin, but Nakamura kicks out and fires off shoulders on him in the corner. Andrade rolls up Nakamura, but Nakamura kicks out and Andrade delivers a hurricanrana to him. He looks to fly to level Nakamura on the outside, but Nakamura intercepts him with a kick from the apron and ascends up the ropes. Andrade sends him crashing out of the ring with a dropkick, then lands a moonsault off the ropes to take him down on the outside.

Back from the break, Andrade levels Nakamura with a back elbow and connects with a crossbody. He ascends up the ropes, but Nakamura joins him up there. Andrade fights off Nakamura, then looks to land a moonsault off the top. Nakamura rolls out of the way, but Andrade immediately transitions into a second one and goes for a pin, but Nakamura kicks out.

Nakamura rocks Andrade with a back elbow, then sets up for the Kinshasa. Andrade avoids it and connects with a spinning back elbow, then goes for another pin but Nakamura kicks out. Andrade then hits The Three Amigos on Nakamura and lands the third suplex in the corner before he sets up for a meteora in the corner. Nakamura avoids it and Andrade is sent crashing into the top turnbuckle Nakamura reveals he had exposed. Nakamura then connects with the Kinshasa on Andrade for the win.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

After the match, LA Knight looks to attack Nakamura. Nakamura sees him coming and spits black mist in his face before he heads up the ramp and officials appear to check on Knight.

We then head backstage and see Nick Aldis inform The Bloodline and Bronson Reed that everybody will be barred from ringside in the upcoming Men's WarGames Advantage Match between Jacob Fatu and Jey Uso.

Back from the break, we see #DIY arguing over their difference in attitudes over the course of the past few weeks. Tommaso Ciampa tells Johnny Gargano that he values his friendship with Alex Shelley more than capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship, then tells him that he has one more week to figure things out or they do things his own way.

Back at ringside, Cody Rhodes makes his way out. Carmelo Hayes follows. 

The bell rings and the two lock up. They go back and forth with one another, but Hayes delivers an open palm strike to Rhodes and cinches in a side headlock on him. Rhodes escapes and clotheslines Hayes over the top rope, then connects with a tope suicida on the outside and sends his face bouncing off the announce desk. The pair then get back inside the ring, and Rhodes turns Hayes inside out with a Disaster Kick.

Back from the break, Rhodes connects with a delayed vertical superplex on Hayes off the middle rope. Hayes sends Rhodes crashing into the mat face first, then goes for a pin but Rhodes kicks out. Rhodes then looks to fly off the ropes, but Hayes intercepts him and lands a kick on his spine. He follows it up with a twisting neckbreaker and goes for a pin, but Rhodes kicks out. Hayes sets up for Nothing But Net, but Rhodes sees him coming and looks to land Cross-Rhodes on him. Hayes escapes, but Rhodes hits him with a Cody Cutter and follows it up with Cross-Rhodes for the win.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

As Reigns and Paul Heyman wait for the arrival of CM Punk, Reigns makes it clear that he's frustrated with Punk not being there. He looks to leave, but Punk appears and explains to Reigns that he showed up for Heyman rather than him. Reigns tells Punk that he doesn't need his help, and Punk tells Reigns that he doesn't really want to give him his help. Reigns tells Punk that he doesn't like his attitude or him and doesn't want to team with him in WarGames tomorrow, but Heyman interjects and explains that it's over if they don't accept Punk's help given that Solo Sikoa has had their number at every turn.

Heyman tells Punk that The Bloodline will come after him if they don't put an end to things tomorrow night, and says that they have to be a united front to survive The Bloodline tomorrow night. Punk reiterates that he's competing in WarGames for Heyman and wants to seek retribution against Sikoa on his behalf, and they can continue this conversation later just the two of them. Reigns says he'll team with Punk just this one time, and Punk agrees. He tells Reigns that he doesn't owe him a favor, but Heyman owes him one.

Punk leaves and Reigns asks Heyman what favor he owes Punk. Heyman deflects and tells Reigns to worry about it after WarGames.

Piper Niven and Chelsea Green then make their way down to the ring. Lash Legend and Michin follow. 

The bell rings and Michin connects with a roundhouse kick on Niven. She fires off strikes on Legend, but Niven takes her down with a low crossbody and goes for a pin. Legend breaks the fall, but Niven rocks her with a headbutt before Michin levels both her and Legend with a springboard moonsault on the outside and dumps Niven back inside the ring. She looks to follow, but Green pulls her off the apron and levels her. B-Fab runs down to the ring to even the odds and brawls with Green to the back as Niven watches on. Niven then turns around into a pump kick from Legend.

Back from the break, Niven sends Michin crashing into the mat with a Michinoku Driver and goes for a pin. Legend breaks the fall, but Niven levels her with a right hand and follows it up with a Vader Bomb. She goes for a pin, but Michin breaks the fall. Legend levels Michin with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and sends her crashing into the mat, then goes for a pair of pins but Niven kicks out of them both.

Legend argues with the referee, but Michin blindsides her with a kick and looks to level her with a hurricanrana. Legend blocks her and delivers a powerbomb, then goes for a pin but Michin kicks out. Niven then hits a senton on Legend and pins her, but Michin breaks the fall and Niven whips her into the corner. Michin then ascends up the ropes, but Niven joins her on them and looks to land a slam on her. Legend lands a forearm on them that sends Michin crashing out of the ring, but Niven looks to land a senton on her off the middle rope. Legend avoids it and gets Niven up on her shoulders, then sends her crashing into the mat and looks to pin her. Michin breaks things up and pins Niven herself for the win.

Winner: Michin

Jey Uso then makes his way down to the ring. Jacob Fatu follows. 

The bell rings and the two lock up. Fatu sends Jey crashing into the mat with a shoulder block, but Jey responds with an enzuigiri to him in the corner and clotheslines him out of the ring. Jey looks to land a tope suicida on Fatu, but Fatu intercepts him. He then sends him crashing into the ring post and over the announce desk.

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