We may have a WWE World Championship Match tonight on Smackdown!, as James Ellsworth may be wrestling WWE World Champion A.J. Styles! Can the little man (Ellsworth, for the record!) upset A.J. for the fourth time? Or, despite, Styles’ injury, will he still remain WWE World Champion? Or will “The Phenomenal One” even wrestle or find a way out?

The Women’s Championship scenario is also “hot” right now, with Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch battling it out. What’s next for the fierce rivals?

These two major stories and more, so read on!

Tuesday Night Smackdown! Live TV Report for December 13th, 2016 – “Pretenders and Contenders”

Introduction Segment: Backstage Promo

Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan are watching the ending to last week’s Smackdown! with the Intercontinental Championship Match between Dean Ambrose and Champion The Miz.

James Ellsworth is in the room and appears sick. As Shane and Daniel are berating him for his interference in the match above, he keeps sneezing and coughing. They decide that James is unable to compete against A.J. Styles for the WWE World Championship tonight, so he sneezes on them and walks away.

Segment #2: Video Promo and Arena Promo

The regular Smackdown! Live video plays and then we go to the ring, where Intercontinental Champion The Miz and Maryse are. They gloat and then invite their guest to the ring, WWE World Champion A.J. Styles. They both make fun of James Ellsworth and Dean Ambrose until “The Lunatic Fringe” marches to the ring. He is backed up by Dolph Ziggler, who jaws at both Styles and Miz., and then the four fight until Luke Harper appears!

They are booked to wrestle in a Fatal-4-Way later tonight

Commercials.

Segment #3: Office Promo

A.J. walks in, displeased at Bryan and McMahon. They tell him what’s what, and he storms off.

Match #1: Single – Natalya VS. Carmella

(Note: Nikki Bella is on commentary, and Nattie tries to convince her that Carmella is lying about Natalya attacking Nikki.)

This begins as a brawl between the two.

Ads.

Natalya snap-suplexes Carmella and then slaps her, yelling at her “you’re a liar!” Natalya hits her in the corner, but Carmella counters and hurricanranas out of it. She mudhole-stomps in another corner and then locks on a leg-scissors. Natalya works her way out, but Carmella turns it into a grounding-guillotine choke! Natalya powers out into a scoop-slam, and then tries The Sharpshooter; Carmella fends her off, but is given a baseball-slide afterward!

Nattie faces-off with Nikki, and then shoves Carmella to the ring apron. She jaws at Nikki and then turns around to pick up Carmella, but “Fabulous” turned her into a small-package for the victory!

Winner via Pinfall: Carmella

Commercials.

Segment #4: Backstage Promo

“Fluffy” – a famous stand-up and television comic – is walking through the hallway and stops to chat with Apollo Crews. I.C. Champ The Miz and Maryse interrupt, and childish jokes ensue. Miz walks away to get ready for his Fatal-4-Way.

American Alpha and The Hype Bros make their entrances for the Battle Royal!

Ads.

Match #2: Tag-Team Battle Royal – American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordon) VS. The Hype Bros (Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder) VS. The Ascension (Viktor and Konnor) VS. The Vaudevillians (Aiden English and Simon Gotch) VS. Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango) VS. Heath Slater and Rhyno

(Stipulation: #1 Contender’s Match for the Tag-Team Championship)

Simon Gotch is tossed first! The rest fight it out for a while until Viktor, Chad, and Rhyno are dumped, with Rhyno being hit accidentally by Heath!

Commercials.

The battle (no pun intended) continues, with Aiden hitting the floor, officially eliminating The Vaudevillians. Fandango is also out, along with Mojo.

Winners and NEW #1 Contenders: The Hype Bros

Up next, Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss will be wrestling!

Ads.

Segment #5: Video Promo

A montage in black-and-white of Baron Corbin airs.

Match #3: Single – ? VS. Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss (Non-Title)

Prior to the bout, Alexa says she doesn’t “do ‘charity cases,’” and then harshly forearms her opponent.

Winner: None due to No Official Start

Post-match, Becky Lynch walks out. She challenges Alexa to a Women’s Championship Match right now. Alexa denies, until Commissioner McMahon changes it up, and makes this match happen!

Commercials.

Match #4: Single for the Women’s Championship – Alexa Bliss (Champion) VS. Becky Lynch (Challenger)

They circle each other, with Becky trying to grapple Bliss. They lockup and Lynch armdrags, and goes for her Disarmer submission, but Alexa escapes to the ropes. Becky waistlock-slams Bliss a couple of times and then gets a two-count. She runs in the corner and springs, but Alexa counters with a kick. She misses a double-kneedrop and gets rolled-up but kicks out at two!

Lynch hits a couple of clotheslines and then a forearm in the corner. she goes for her Disarmer again, but The Champ makes it to the ropes again! She soon rolls to the floor and appears to have hurt her knee; she hobbles around the ring, taking a count-out.

Winner via Count-Out: Becky Lynch (but STILL Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss)

Post-match, Becky charges out and begins another fight; Alexa gets the better, and then hops away again.

Ads.

Match #5: Fatal-4-Way – Dolph Ziggler VS. Intercontinental Champion The Miz VS. Dean Ambrose VS. Luke Harper (Non-Title)

(Note: WWE World Champion A.J. Styles is on commentary.)

Harper dismantles Dean and Dolph, and then uppercuts Miz and gives him a Michinoku-Driver! He kicks Dean, but Dolph comes back and he and Dean double-team Luke.

Miz soon takes over after DDT-ing Dolph, and then front-dropkicking both Harper and Ambrose. He kicks away at Dolph in the middle of the ring, and then hits two dropkicks before getting clotheslined and bulldogged by Dean!

Luke regains dominance, working over Ziggler mainly for a while.

Commercials.

Dolph and Dean are now wrestling, with Miz gone and Harper resting on the outside. Ambrose traps Dolph in the Regal-Stretch and then snap-suplexes him. They trade pin combinations and then double-crossbody each other. Harper plants Dean with a tornado-sidewalk-slam, and then Ziggler with a sit-down powerbomb, both for near-falls! Dolph and Ambrose double-team Luke shortly after, and Dean pins him for an elimination!

Ambrose and Ziggler are left; they go back-and-forth until Miz appears at ringside. He gets their attention, but they both take him out. Miz holds on to Dean’s ankle, and then Dolph superkicks Ambrose as he gets back in. Ziggler covers and receives the victory!

Winner and #1 Contender to the WWE World Championship: Dolph Ziggler

We go to a promo from Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann, putting himself over. A.J. and Dolph gab at each other to close the show.

End of Smackdown! Live.