WWE SmackDown Results (11/21/25): AJ Lee And Becky Lynch Join WarGames, Hayes & Penta Advance

This week's episode of WWE Smackdown was the home for more of the John Cena Last Time Is Now tournament, but not before major hype for the Survivor Series PLE, which is just a little over a week away.

When WWE Raw went off the air, Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar had both returned to WWE and joined up on opposite sides of WarGames. This week's episode of SmackDown began with Paul Heyman and The Vision in the ring.

Heyman spoke and called out the babyface team of Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and The Usos at Survivor Series. He called those five men victims and said that they would be sent to hell inside WarGames.

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN...@HeymanHustle has a warning for EVERYONE ahead of Survivor Series WarGames 👀 pic.twitter.com/YpKKevKiBj
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2025

Logan Paul tried to speak, but Jey Uso interrupted him. Uso said that nobody wanted to hear Paul talk and Heyman told him to be careful and not make Paul angry. Heyman said that The Usos were behind in numbers, but they countered with Cody Rhodes. Or so they thought.

Rhodes' music hit, but instead, his bus was shown backstage. Drew McIntyre got out of the bus and had beaten Rhodes to a pulp. Rhodes was a bloody mess and immediately tended to by The Usos and WWE medical. As he was fixed up, McIntyre drove by and yelled that he would see him at Survivor Series.

"See you at WarGames, champ!"@DMcIntyreWWE is just adding insult to injury 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/5y1IolYvzS
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2025

Later in the night, Cody Rhodes made his return and got in the way of Vision business. During the Last Time Is Now tournament match between Bronson Reed and Carmelo Hayes, Rhodes ran down to the ringside area and slammed Reed into the ring post. He then crushed Reed with a Cross Rhodes on the outside of the ring.

Carmelo Hayes advances in Last Time Is Now tournament thanks to Cody Rhodes

With Reed down, Rhodes tossed Hayes back in the ring and the referee started his count. The referee counted Reed out and awarded the tournament win to Hayes. Right after, Rhodes got the microphone and while bandaged up, ran down the entire Vision WarGames team. He said that throughout their history, Heyman set pieces up and he knocked them down. He then yelled at Heyman that they'd see him at Survivor Series.

WAIT A MINUTE!!@CodyRhodes just took out @BRONSONISHERE 😱 pic.twitter.com/y6IumWCSR8
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2025

In other action on the show this week, Ilja Dragunov defeated JD McDonagh to retain the WWE United States Championship. McDonagh answered Dragunov's open challenge, but Dragunov got the victory with an H-Bomb.

Dragunov was confronted by two other potential open challenge opponents this week. Tama Tonga was first and he was followed by Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa said that if he didn't have a tag match, he'd have answered the open challenge and won. Dragunov called Ciampa a jackass.

.@jd_mcdonagh is not giving up yet! 👊 pic.twitter.com/xYWVPpjrQE
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2025

Speaking of that tag team match, Ciampa and Gargano defeated Nathan Frazer and Axiom. It wasn't a clean victory, though. Candice LeRae pulled Axiom's lucha mask off his face and this allowed Gargano to get the victory for his team.

Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley get on the same page ahead of Survivor Series

The women's WarGames match at Survivor Series got an added player this week. Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair met one-on-one in a special pre-produced segment after Alexa Bliss said that both women needed to figure things out.

Tensions are high between @MsCharlotteWWE and @RheaRipley_WWE... 👀 pic.twitter.com/GOv4zXYdsY
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2025

Ripley and Flair sat across from the other at a table and Ripley spoke. She told Flair that they had been through wars together, but that if there was anyone she'd want to fight inside of WarGames with it would be her. Ripley said that they probably would fight again, but that Flair could trust her as a partner at Survivor Series.

Ripley asked Flair is she could trust her and after a pause, Flair said that she could. Flair then stood up and shook Ripley's hand.

The Last Time is Now Tournament continues...

Who will face @RealLAKnight NEXT WEEK?! 👀 pic.twitter.com/UyeYgr2nhC
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2025

In the other Last Time Is Now tournament match, Penta defeated Finn Balor to advance. Earlier in the day, Sheamus was removed from the tournament because of a shoulder injury. The announce team said that Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce were working together to figure out what to do in regards to his absence.

In the main event segment of the show, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, iyo Sky, and Alexa Bliss revealed that AJ Lee would be the fifth member of their team at WarGames. Ripley announced Lee and Lee made her entrance. As she did, Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and The Kabuki Warriors attacked from behind.

AJ LEE IS THE FIFTH MEMBER BUT SHE'S OUTNUMBERED!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/nQj9I32AM8
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2025

Lee ran down to help her team, but was clocked by Becky Lynch. Lynch beat on Lee and she helped leave all the babyfaces laying in the ring. Lynch then shook Asuka's hand and joined their team as the fifth member for their WarGames team.