In the night's biggest segment, Universal Champion Roman Reigns returned and questioned Paul Heyman's loyalty. After a tense exchange where Heyman claimed he was protecting Reigns from Brock Lesnar , Reigns fired him with a Superman Punch .

The WWE Friday Night SmackDown episode from December 17, 2021, was a pivotal show leading into the 2022 Day 1 event, featuring the dramatic dissolution of the partnership between Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman.

Following the firing, Brock Lesnar stormed the ring and laid waste to the entire Bloodline, hitting Roman Reigns and The Usos with multiple F-5s .

McIntyre reclaimed his sword, "Angela," from Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss after they stole it and failed to pull it from Adam Pearce’s desk. WWE SmackDown: Dec. 17, 2021

In a non-title Championship Contender’s match, King Woods and Kofi Kingston defeated the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The Usos , gaining significant momentum.

Toni Storm and Sasha Banks defeated Charlotte Flair and Shotzi . By pinning the champion, Storm earned a title shot for the following week.