WWE SmackDown results, review, grades: Drew McIntyre joins WarGames, Zack Ryder returns

McIntyre joined forces with Logan Paul, The Vision, and Paul Heyman at Survivor Series

Drew McIntyre's suspension from WWE SmackDown lasted all of one week. Thanks to Paul Heyman, McIntyre found a loophole by agreeing to team with The Vision and Logan Paul at Survivor Series: WarGames. The alliance puts Cody Rhodes and The Usos on defense.

WarGames continues to take shape after Friday's show. McIntyre's inclusion brings The Vision's team to four, at level with their rivals Rhodes, The Usos and CM Punk. Each team has one spot to fill ahead of the Nov. 29 pay-per-view. The reveal came at the conclusion of an impromptu undisputed WWE championship match between Rhodes and Bronson Reed.

SmackDown also featured the continuation of The Last Time is Now Tournament to find John Cena's final opponent. A major hook for the show was LA Knight's mystery opponent, who turned out to be Cena's old ally. Zack Ryder, known as Matt Cardona on the independent scene, made his first main roster WWE appearance in five years.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from MVP Arena in Albany, New York.

McIntyre joins WarGames

The Vision's Heyman and Reed strolled into SmackDown general manager Aldis' office. Before Aldis could have them removed by security, Heyman reminded him that members of the WarGames match are permitted on all brands. Queue Rhodes, who confronted The Vision. Reed and Rhodes agreed to a singles match, with Heyman convincing Rhodes to put his undisputed WWE title at stake.

Undisputed WWE Championship -- Cody Rhodes (c) def. Bronson Reed via disqualification after Bron Breakker and Logan Paul attacked Rhodes. 

Reed's unique combination of strength and speed had the champion in trouble for long stretches of the match. Only towards the end of their single-digit runtime did Rhodes find sustained momentum. Reed came barreling towards Rhodes, only for the champ to sidestep and send Reed crashing through the ringside barricade. Rhodes started clearing off the announcers' table but was intercepted by Breakker and Paul, drawing a disqualification for their Survivor Series teammate.

Post-match, The Usos rescued Rhodes, laying out their WarGames opponents. They set up Paul for an Uso splash through the table, but couldn't deliver before McIntyre interfered. Aldis, angry that McIntyre undermined him one week after being indefinitely suspended, marched to the ring. Heyman cut him off, reminding him that anyone competing in WarGames can appear on WWE shows. McIntyre and his new allies beat down the fan-favorites, celebrating to close the show.

What was the point of that title match? Starting it with approximately 10 minutes left killed any chance for them to build momentum. Furthermore, why did Reed's allies cost him his first world title match? Reed was in control for most of the match and wasn't at a significant risk of losing when Breakker and Paul intervened. They could have pounced at any point. McIntyre's loophole is a cute subplot, but a one-week suspension means nothing unless Aldis reprimands McIntyre after Survivor Series. Grade: C+

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Charlotte Flair told Rhea Ripley she doesn't trust her ahead of their WarGames match at Survivor Series. 
• The Last Time is Now Tournament -- Jey Uso def. The Miz via pinfall with an Uso Splash to advance to the quarterfinals.
• United States Championship -- Ilja Dragunov def. Axiom via pinfall with an H-Bomb in an open challenge match. Post-match, Tomasso Ciampa attacked Axiom.
• Sami Zayn announced that he was medically cleared to compete. Shinsuke Nakamura, Dragon Lee, and Motor City Machine Guns rescued him from an MFT beatdown.
• The Last Time is Now Tournament -- LA Knight def. Zack Ryder via pinfall with a BFT. This marked Matt Cardona's first match with the "Zack Ryder" persona since 2020.
• The Kabuki Warriors, Nia Jax and Lash Legend attacked Flair, Ripley, Alexa Bliss, and Iyo Sky backstage before their WarGames match on Nov. 29.
• Jade Cargill def. B-Fab via pinfall with Jaded in a short match. Post-match, Cargill and Michin got into a shoving match.