WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Flair and Lynch miscommunication hands Damage CTRL pre-WarGames win

Damage CTRL's plan to exploit their opponents' internal issues paid off one night before Survivor Series

One night before Survivor Series, the two women's teams set for WarGames were looking to grab some last-minute momentum. In the SmackDown main event on Friday night, Asuka and Bayley were able to capitalize on a plan to exploit the divisions between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair before they entered the double cage on Saturday in Chicago.

Bayley challenged the team of Lynch, Flair, Shotzi and Bianca Belair to a tag match. Bayley teamed up with Asuka while the other team chose Lynch and Flair as their representatives. The plan was a success for Damage CTRL, with Flair accidentally costing her team the match and sending Lynch storming out of the ring as the show came to a close.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.

Damage CTRL scores big pre-WarGames win

Bayley interrupted a show-opening promo featuring Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Shotzi, challenging them to a tag match later in the night, claiming the team would fracture from the inside. That was a running theme all night as Damage CTRL tried to play that line of thinking up -- while Bayley still seemed a bit out of touch with her team -- and the various members of Lynch's squad trying to find common ground while also attempting to avoid internal squabbles.

Bayley & Asuka def. Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch via pinfall when Lynch had the match in hand after hitting Bayley with a Manhandle Slam but the pin was accidentally broken up by Flair when she speared Asuka onto Lynch. As Lynch confronted Flair, Bayley shoved the two women into each other and then rolled up Lynch for the win. After the match, Shotzi and Belair tried to settle the two down before Lynch stormed out of the ring.

Overall, the show felt like it didn't do much to build toward Saturday's pay-per-view. Damage CTRL playing into the divisions between Lynch and Flair makes sense but it didn't really build the story any further than it already was entering the show. Still, WarGames will be a big dramatic mess in the best way so maybe simply killing time was a fair option. Grade: B-

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship -- The Judgment Day (c) def. The Street Profits via pinfall after a Finn Balor Coup de Grace on Montez Ford. Bobby Lashley was livid watching the match backstage.
• LA Knight & Kevin Owens def. Grayson Waller & Austin Theory via pinfall when Knight hit Theory with a BFT. The match came about after Theory "impersonated" Owens on The Grayson Waller Effect, leading Owens to intervene and then bring out Knight for the match.
• Carlito and Santos Escobar brawled after Escobar interrupted a Carlito promo. While Carlito had the upper hand, driving punches into Escobar's head, Escobar delivered a cheap shot after referees separated the two men. Later in the show, Escobar attacked Carlito backstage but was run off after Dragon Lee made the save. Later, Nick Aldis announced Carlito was out of the match at Survivor Series when Lee interrupted and said to put him in.
• Pretty Deadly def. Ridge Holland & Butch via pinfall when Kit Willson rolled up Butch. Holland walked off on Butch during the match, leading to Butch losing as he was facing a two-on-one.