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It was the second-last episode of SmackDown this year, and it certainly delivered in a big way, minus a few hiccups. However, the focus was less on the 2023 Royal Rumble and more on setting the stage for future storylines and a potentially epic ending to 2022.
Next week will feature the return of John Cena. However, before we get to that, let's look at this week and how things played out on SmackDown:
#3. Best: The Bray Wyatt meltdown on SmackDown
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Bray Wyatt had a meltdown on the latest episode of SmackDown as he assaulted a cameraman. The identity of this cameraman was a man named JT Energy - a student of Seth Rollins and a graduate of his Black & Brave Wrestling academy.
The promo of Wyatt was brilliant, and the way he lost his train of thought before having an outright meltdown was incredible. His subtle character work makes him so great, and it's no surprise that WWE is building him up again.
#2. Worst: The handling of multiple superstars in the Gauntlet match, including Xia Li
The Gauntlet match on SmackDown had one positive - Raquel Rodriguez was booked as a strong babyface. The downside? Everyone else was handled horribly.
Emma and Tegan Nox looked like enhancement talent, and Xia Li's loss rendered her storyline attack from last week completely pointless. We aren't even sure why the assault happened, and no explanation was given.
Liv Morgan felt like a placeholder when she was pinned quickly, and Shayna Baszler, the "final boss," fell completely flat as she was pinned with a quick roll-up.
#2. Best: Hit Row losing to The Usos
Hit Row were never going to defeat The Usos, and it was no surprise when the Undisputed Tag Team Champions overcame their challengers with relative ease on SmackDown. It was the right decision to make, and the way it was handled was done well too.
Unfortunately for Hit Row, they aren't on the level of The Usos and have little credibility at this point.
#1. Worst: The main event felt like a live event match
The main event of SmackDown saw Braun Strowman and Ricochet take on Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci in a match titled "Miracle on 34th Street". It was a fun match that the audience enjoyed, but the issue was that it felt more like a live event match with the ballerina as well as The New Day's cameo.
Samantha Irvin kissing Ricochet under the mistletoe was also fun, but overall, it didn't fit as the main event of the blue brand. It would have been good as the opening match instead.
#1. Best: Sami Zayn's incredible promo
Sami Zayn stole the entire show this week with his incredible promo. He hyped up Roman Reigns and made him proud ahead of the big main event next week as he and The Tribal Chief will take on Kevin Owens and John Cena.
This promo and the embrace Roman Reigns gave Sami Zayn summed up the year he has had. It would have served well as the final segment.
