WWE Smackdown November 2023 Review, Ratings, Key Points, Analysis And Impression

The month of November 2023 was an exciting one for WWE SmackDown, featuring fallout from the Crown Jewel pay-per-view event and buildup towards Survivor Series: WarGames. Coming off the heels of Crown Jewel, we witnessed the return of legends like Randy Orton and CM Punk, promising more dream matches and surprises leading into 2024.

SmackDown in November was largely focused on setting the stage for WarGames matches at Survivor Series, including the debut of the women’s WarGames matchup. On the November 3rd episode, Damage CTRL’s Bayley officially challenged Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and a partner of their choosing to WarGames. In a shocking twist the following week, Becky Lynch made her return from an injury hiatus to join Belair’s team as the fifth member, uniting bitter rivals Lynch and Charlotte Flair on the same side against Damage CTRL.

The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Finn Balor and Damian Priest of The Judgment Day also continued their dominant reign in November. They defeated the Street Profits to retain the titles on the November 25 episode after interference from Rhea Ripley. The rivalry between the Judgment Day and the mysterious new faction surprises are far from over.

One of the most hard-hitting feuds has been between hardcore legend John Cena and upstart Solo Sikoa of the Bloodline. After weeks of Sikoa attacking Cena leading up to Crown Jewel, the two finally went one-on-one at the Saudi Arabia event, where Sikoa controversially defeated Cena after interference. This set the stage for a heated promo battle on the November 4 SmackDown, where Cena shredded Sikoa on the mic for relying on his family ties within 90 seconds, before Sikoa attacked him from behind. Their violent rivalry shows no signs of slowing.

The teased split between Rey Mysterio’s Lucha House Party and Santos Escobar turned ugly on November 18 when Escobar violently attacked his former friend. After losing to Bobby Lashley’s team earlier in the night, a remorseful Mysterio tried to make peace with Escobar, only to get shoved face-first into the steel ring post. Escobar then crushed Mysterio’s knee with the steel steps, completing his long-teased heel turn. This sets Escobar up as a dangerous new villain on the SmackDown brand.

In terms of match ratings and key moments:

Solo Sikoa vs John Cena, Crown Jewel 2023: 4/5 – An instant classic hardcore brawl between the veteran Cena and upstart Sikoa, won by the Bloodline member after Usos interference. Their violent post-Crown Jewel confrontation and Cena’s verbal decimation of his rival were also highlights.

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Street Profits vs Finn Balor & Damian Priest, Smackdown 11/25: 3.5/5 – Good title match ended by Rhea Ripley interference so the Judgement Day could retain their gold. The mysterious new faction threatening Balor’s group adds intrigue.

LA Knight vs Jimmy Uso, Smackdown 11/11: 4/5 – Entertaining match between Knight and Uso ended violently when Solo Sikoa and the Bloodline attacked Knight, only for Cody Rhodes to make a surprise save, kicking the WarGames storyline into high gear.

Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs Bayley & Asuka, Smackdown 11/18: 3/5 – As expected, tension between enemies Flair and Lynch boiled over as Bayley scored a sneaky pinfall victory. The dysfunction in Flair/Lynch doesn’t bode well for their WarGames team.

Overall, the November editions of SmackDown effectively built anticipation for WWE Survivor Series: WarGames in late November 2023 while advancing key storylines like Mysterio/Escobar, Rhodes/Bloodline, Judgment Day/Mysterious new faction, and the women’s WarGames debut. Though not every weekly show was a slam dunk, the month as a whole did a solid job setting the table for the final “Big 5” pay-per-view of 2023.

With WarGames around the corner and stakes rising, December’s shows will likely feature even more returns, surprises and table-setting for the WrestleMania 40 season. If November was exciting for SmackDown, the next two months into 2024 could potentially launch the blue brand into the stratosphere with fresh feuds and renewed purpose. The road to WrestleMania runs through Survivor Series and the months beyond.