5 Best Moments From WWE Smackdown In November 2023
The month of November 2023 was an exciting one for WWE SmackDown. Coming off the heels of the Crown Jewel pay-per-view event in Saudi Arabia and building towards the Survivor Series: WarGames premium live event, the blue brand featured the return of legends, the formation of new factions, and several heated rivalries reaching their boiling points.
The first best moment was Becky Lynch’s return to WWE. After being sidelined with an injury in recent months, Becky Lynch made her triumphant return on the November 11th episode of SmackDown. She confronted Damage CTRL’s Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky, who had been dominating the women’s division in her absence. In a shocking moment, Lynch offered to join Bianca Belair’s WarGames team against the villainous faction. This meant Lynch would fight alongside her longtime rival Charlotte Flair for the first time in years. Their bitter feud defined the women’s division previously, but fans were thrilled to see them unite against a common enemy.
The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Finn Balor and Damian Priest of The Judgment Day faction continued their dominant reign by defeating the Street Profits to retain their titles on November 25. However, their rivalry with the mysterious new group led by LA Knight, which also features wrestlers wearing masks to conceal their identities, is far from over. This introduced intriguing new characters that brought surprises and chaos to SmackDown each week. With Priest and Balor’s grasp on the tag titles in jeopardy, the rivalry promises more shocking moments in the weeks ahead.
One of November’s most hard-hitting feuds was between hardcore legend John Cena and upstart Solo Sikoa of The Bloodline faction. After Sikoa controversially defeated Cena at Crown Jewel thanks to interference, their heated rivalry led to a scathing verbal confrontation on November 4. Cena shredded the rookie Sikoa on the mic for relying on help from his Bloodline allies rather than his own skills. Moments later, Sikoa attacked Cena from behind in a cowardly sneak attack. Their violent feud showed no signs of slowing throughout November, keeping fans invested in this clash between an all-time great and dangerous new monster heel.
Former allies Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar saw their tag team implode in savage fashion on November 18. After losing to Bobby Lashley’s team, a remorseful Mysterio tried reconciling with Escobar, who shoved his former friend face-first into the steel ring post. Escobar then crushed Mysterio’s knee using the steel steps, completing his long-teased heel turn. This sets Escobar up as a ruthless new villain on SmackDown’s roster, while leaving the legendary Mysterio injured and seeking revenge.
Speaking of Rey Mysterio, his other heated rivalry with social media star Logan Paul also escalated on November 25. Leading up to their United States Championship match at a later date, Paul disrespected Mysterio during a contract signing and weigh-in segment on SmackDown. Mocking Mysterio’s size and legacy, the brash Paul enraged the champion. As Paul belittled Mysterio by patting him on the head, Mysterio snapped and smashed a microphone across Paul’s skull. The surprise attack left Paul reeling and fans buzzing over another chaotic moment between the unlikely opponents.
With stunning returns, new factions forming, and bitter grudges boiling over into violence, November’s episodes of WWE SmackDown brought must-see moments for the blue brand. Longtime fans were thrilled to see Becky Lynch back in action and united with Charlotte Flair against Damage CTRL. The mysterious LA Knight-led group promises intrigue for Balor and Priest’s title reign. Meanwhile, violently personal feuds like Rey Mysterio vs Santos Escobar, John Cena vs Solo Sikoa, and Mysterio vs Logan Paul will surely bring more shocking and devastating attacks in the weeks ahead.
As Survivor Series and 2023 approach, WWE is delivering buzzworthy moments and must-see television on Friday nights with SmackDown. Last month proved SmackDown is the place for pay-per-view-calibre bouts and chaos fans won’t find anywhere else. So the road to WrestleMania 39 next year promises twists and surprises at every turn.
