The November 21 episode of Friday Night SmackDown took place at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, featuring the concluding matches of the 'Last Time is Now' tournament and a highly anticipated United States Championship defense. The evening was marked by escalating tensions between teams preparing for the Men's WarGames match, leading to a dramatic attack by Drew McIntyre on Cody Rhodes.
The show began with Logan Paul and The Vision, who were confronted by Jimmy and Jey Uso, setting the tone for the upcoming WarGames confrontation. Cody Rhodes' music signaled his anticipated entry, but he was surprisingly absent, leading to McIntyre emerging from Rhodes’ bus to launch an assault on him. The Usos followed suit, rushing backstage to assist their rival.
In a thrilling segment, Ilja Dragunov defended his United States Championship against JD McDonagh in an intense challenge. The battle showcased both wrestlers' skills and culminated in a dramatic H-Bomb, enabling Dragunov to successfully retain his title.
The first round of the 'Last Time is Now' tournament featured Bronson Reed taking on Carmelo Hayes, where Reed received help from Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, and Paul Heyman. However, intervention from The Usos thwarted Reed's efforts, leading to his count-out loss. As the match concluded, Cody Rhodes emerged to address the crowd after his earlier attack, delivering a passionate speech in anticipation of the WarGames showdown.
Another highlight of the evening was the clash between Fraxiom and DIY, where Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa faced Nathan Frazer and Axiom. The match ended controversially when Gargano's wife, Candice LeRae, interfered by removing Axiom's mask, enabling Gargano to secure the pinfall.
Finn Balor faced off against Penta in the final match of the 'Last Time is Now' tournament, bringing high-paced action and spectacular moves. The encounter concluded with Penta delivering a precise Destroyer to claim victory.
As the show approached its final moments, IYO Sky, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, and Charlotte Flair took to the ring as part of one of the women's WarGames teams. The group introduced AJ Lee as their fifth member; however, they were quickly ambushed by their rivals. Becky Lynch attacked AJ outside of the ring, ultimately solidifying her alliance with her WarGames teammates by shaking Asuka's hand, thus intensifying the rivalry leading into Survivor Series.