The 25^th November 2011 episode of Friday Night SmackDown! starts with a video recapping the events at Survivor Series involving Mark Henry and The Big Show (click here for our Survivor Series report), followed by Mark Henry making his way to the ring with the help of a crutch to kick off the show.

Henry complains about the crowd being happy to see him standing there injured, and says that is not how a champion should be treated, as well as denying that he kicked The Big Show in the groin but instead claiming that he kicked him in the knee.

He says that a champion fights through injury, but that though he wanted to compete on this episode of SmackDown!, Teddy Long and the Doctors would not let him as he isn’t cleared to do so. Henry says that not only is he the World’s Strongest Man, but standing there he is the World’s Toughest Man.

The Big Show takes this opportunity to interrupt and makes his way to the ring. Show talks about who the World Heavyweight Championship can only change hands on a pinfall or submission, and tells Henry to stop lying about where he kicked him.

He says that Henry knew that it would get him disqualified and did so as he felt the title slipping away from him, and now as far as Henry’s ankle is concerned, Show did to him what Henry had done to Show.

Show starts to say something about next time, but Mark Henry interrupts him and says that there won’t be a next time, as not only is The Big Show the World’s Largest Athlete, but he is also the World’s Largest Loser.

The Big Show looks at Henry for a few moments as Henry says that he is not afraid of him, and he retaliates for the “loser” comment by hitting Henry with the Weapon of Mass Destruction before leaving.

After a video recapping what just happened, Daniel Bryan’s music hits and he rushes to the ring with his Money In The Bank briefcase and a referee. Bryan cashes it in and the referee rings the bell to make it an official match, and Bryan struggles to roll Henry over before he pins him for the 3-count to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Bryan celebrates his victory much to the annoyance of Michael Cole, who calls him a hypocrite for saying that he would cash it in at WrestleMania and doing it now, but Teddy Long interrupts the celebration as he quickly makes his way to the ring.

Long says that Mark Henry was right about not being medically cleared to compete, and that as a result of this, Bryan is NOT the new World Heavyweight Champion. He apologises to Bryan, but says that he has to do it by the rules, as Bryan reluctantly hands him the title.

After handing the title to Mark Henry outside the ring, and handing the Money In The Bank briefcase back to Daniel Bryan, he tells Bryan that as the match technically didn’t happen, it means that Bryan technically didn’t cash in his Money In The Bank opportunity either.

In addition to this, he says that he is going to give Bryan another opportunity at a World Heavyweight Championship match by winning the main event of this episode of SmackDown!, which will be a Fatal Four Way match also involving Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Wade Barrett.

Long continues by saying that the winner of the match will face Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship on a special live holiday edition of SmackDown! on Tuesday (29^th November).

Next, Justin Gabriel takes on Hunico in a match which sees Hunico get the victory, when he hits Gabriel with a senton bomb for the 3-count.

After a video encouraging not to try imitate the actions of the WWE Superstars and a video recapping highlights of the WWE’s recent European tour including comments from various Superstars and Divas, Alicia Fox joins commentary as Beth Phoenix and Natalya are pitted against AJ and Kaitlyn in a tag team match.

The match sees Natalya get the victory for her team, when Natalya applies the Sharpshooter to AJ and she quickly taps out. Afterwards, Kaitlyn doesn’t appear to be happy with AJ, and leaves as AJ is subjected to another Sharpshooter by Natalya, as Beth holds a microphone to her mouth so that the crowd can hear her cry in pain.

Natalya and Beth back off the punishment when they notice that Alicia entering the ring. The damage appears to already have been done however, as Natalya and Beth exit the ring and Alicia checks on AJ.

After a video that appears to be hyping Kane, we go backstage where Teddy Long is on the phone to somebody, and he mentions that the SmackDown! Live Holiday Special on Tuesday will be hosted by Mick Foley.

What follows is a short interaction between Long and Aksana, until it is abruptly broken up by the appearance of Mark Henry, who wants to know how Long could let the events of earlier happen, but Long points out that he made things right.

Henry isn’t happy about defending his World Heavyweight Championship match on Tuesday against the winner of this episode’s Fatal Four Way main event, but Long says that it’s a live special and that it needs a huge main event – despite Henry saying that he is injured.

Teddy Long says that he has talked to the Doctors, and that Mark Henry will be ready to go, but Henry says that this will bring things to a head. Henry thinks that this is Long’s way of picking on him because he is hurt, so asks why he is trying to play him like a game.

Long has one more surprise for Henry however, as he says that the title match on Tuesday will also be inside a steel cage. Henry is even less happy about this revelation, and tells Long that he is going to get his.

After an interaction involving Sheamus and Zack Ryder elsewhere backstage, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger (accompanied by Vickie Guerrero) go against Sheamus and Zack Ryder in a tag team match.

Before the match takes place however, Vickie asks to be excused and demands that Ziggler be respected for winning twice at Survivor Series. Ziggler says that unlike him, the crowd have to worry about double-chins and double-mortgages, and that they sure as hell don’t know what it is like to go to Survivor Series and be double-victorious.

He says that it wasn’t just him showing off, but it was instead him making history before stating “hashtag heel” (#HEEL). The match sees Ryder get the victory for his team, when he hits Ziggler with the Rough Ryder for the 3-count.

Backstage again, AJ and Daniel Bryan talk about what happened earlier until they are interrupted by Wade Barrett, who claims that Bryan has no chance in the Fatal Four Way match later on, but Bryan and AJ think otherwise, and AJ gives Bryan a kiss on the cheek for luck and comments that she will be watching his match from backstage.

Back in the arena once more, Ted DiBiase takes on Heath Slater in a match which sees DiBiase get the victory, despite the interruption by Jinder Mahal appearing on the titantron and accusing him of associating with commoners despite his family’s wealth, when he hits Slater with Dream Street for the 3-count.

After a video recapping the events on Raw involving Cody Rhodes and Booker T (click here for our Raw report), Matt Striker interviews Cody Rhodes about his actions. Rhodes says that people think that he threw water in the face of a former World Heavyweight Champion and King Of The Ring, but he says that he threw water in the face of a lowly commentator.

He says that he did it because it was his match on Monday, and he looked over to see the disparaging look on Booker T’s face and decided to do something about it. Rhodes says that without a mask he is free, to get revenge on Randy Orton, to defend his Intercontinental Championship, to win the Fatal Four Way match and go on to become the World Heavyweight Champion.

Rhodes says that the world is his oyster and that he can do anything that he wants, but as a certain commentator may say, he can “dig that, sucka”.

Next up, it’s time for the Fatal Four Way match pitting Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, and Randy Orton against each other to determine who will face Mark Henry in a steel cage for the World Heavyweight Championship on Tuesday.

The match ends with Bryan getting the victory and becoming the Number One Contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, when Bryan counters Rhodes’ pin attempt into the LeBell Lock which forces Rhodes to tap out.

Afterwards, Rhodes obviously isn’t very pleased with the way things have turned out, as he attacks Bryan. Rhodes’ punishment however is halted by Randy Orton, who hits Rhodes with an RKO, before nodding in respect to Bryan and leaving.

Daniel Bryan celebrates in the ring, as SmackDown! goes off the air.