Sat Dec 06 02:40:00 UTC 2025: ## SmackDown Recap: Gunther to Face Cena, Rhodes Seeks McIntyre

[CITY, STATE] – Friday night’s WWE SmackDown saw a series of compelling matches and escalating feuds, setting the stage for Saturday Night’s Main Event. The show, which aired December 5th, not only dealt with the fallout from Survivor Series but also crowned Gunther as the man who will face John Cena in Cena’s retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event (SNME).

The show kicked off with a fiery promo from Cody Rhodes, demanding the reinstatement of Drew McIntyre after McIntyre’s attack on Rhodes earlier in the night. General Manager Nick Aldis had suspended McIntyre and ordered him to leave. The opening segment earned a solid B grade.

The action started hot with Ilja Dragunov successfully defending his United States Championship against Carmelo Hayes in a thrilling match marred by interference from Tommaso Ciampa. This exciting opener was graded A-.

In other action, Alexa Bliss defeated IYO SKY in a match that was interrupted by Lash Legend and Nia Jax, further fueling the tag team title scene (Grade: B-). Jade Cargill defeated Lyra Valkyria in a short, decisive bout (Grade: C-).

The main event saw Gunther defeat LA Knight in a hard-fought, high-stakes match to earn the right to face John Cena at SNME. The match earned an A- and was dubbed the best of the tournament.

Overall, SmackDown delivered a strong episode, bookended by its best matches and leaving fans anticipating SNME and the road to the Royal Rumble. The show earned a B grade overall.

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