4 things SmackDown got right on the episode before Christmas (December 20, 2019)

WWE SmackDown delivered a holiday special episode this week with Christmas right around the corner. The penultimate episode of the brand’s show for the year did a lot to develop some new characters and rivalries while giving some underused stars time to shine.

The old Daniel Bryan appeared to open the show and spoke about why he needed to return to his roots. The Miz was also not far behind as he wanted to remain in the Universal Championship picture.

During the night, several underutilized women got a chance to shine, while the men were focused on tag team action throughout.

Apart from that, a huge triple threat match was announced at the end of the night which will take place on the final episode of SmackDown of the year.

In this article, we'll look at the 4 things SmackDown got right on this week’s broadcast.

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#4 The opening segment

Daniel Bryan opened up the night and spoke directly to the fans. He talked about how shaving off his hair allowed him to shed the brand he’d become and go back to his roots.

He promised to make The Fiend pay and show him what bringing back the best version of Bryan would do. The Miz then interrupted and stated that he wasn’t done with Bray Wyatt yet, and wanted to take the Universal Championship away from him.

The segment was solid and allowed both Superstars to make their cases while giving the fans what they wanted. It also allowed Bryan to address the WWE Universe properly for the first time since returning with his old look.

Furthermore, Baron Corbin was introduced into the Universal Championship picture once again. The Miz teamed up with Bryan to take on Corbin and Dolph Ziggler later in the night, and even though the babyfaces had their disagreements, they managed to lay down the heels.

After the match, a triple threat match between Miz, Bryan, and Corbin was announced for next week to determine the challenger for The Fiend at Royal Rumble.

#3 Otis!

Otis may have gotten much more than he could have wished for this Christmas. After all, he’s been a very good boy on SmackDown!

The Heavy Machinery took on The Revival in the holiday's traditional Miracle on 34th Street Fight. The two teams were evenly matched until the heels threw the ham gifted to Otis by Mandy Rose before the match onto the floor. Otis threw The Revival around and took out a bag of Legos and emptied it onto the ring. He then slammed Scott Dawson on the Legos as the entire WWE Universe felt his pain.

Otis and Tucker then picked up the victory with the Compactor and gave the WWE Universe something to smile about on Christmas.

However, the real story here seems to be that of Otis and Mandy Rose. Rose had gifted Otis a holiday ham and kissed his cheek before the match, while Otis apologized to God's Greatest Creation for ruining her ham after the match.

Rose hugged him but immediately regretted her decision as his sweat got all over her dress. The match seemed to be tailor-made for a fun team like Heavy Machinery, and they seem to be taking over The New Day’s role in some spots. Building an Otis and Rose storyline could provide the fans some comic relief, especially after the Lana and Bobby Lashley storyline on RAW.

#2 The New Day vs. Nakamura & Cesaro

Amid all the other tag team matches on SmackDown this week, fans were treated to another great tag match between The New Day and the team of Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro.

While the SmackDown Tag Team Champions started strong, Nakamura and Cesaro soon took over and controlled the middle segment of the match. The Swiss Superman delivered another great performance, prompting the WWE Universe to wonder why he isn’t in the top title picture yet.

However, the company booked him to take the pin once again, as Kofi Kingston scored the victory for his team.

After the match, the heels along with Sami Zayn tried to beatdown the Champions, but Braun Strowman appeared to help the babyfaces out while delivering a warning to the Intercontinental Champion.

Overall, this was a good match that allowed Cesaro to build and turn Nakamura and him into a credible tag team while allowing the Champions another big victory. Including Strowman into the mix could allow the company to give him his first singles Championship run, or have him team up with someone else to gain more prominence.

This is by far the most aggressive we’ve seen The Monster Among Men since Crown Jewel.

#1 The women’s revival

Dana Brooke doesn’t get a match on television too often, let alone a match against the SmackDown Women’s Champion.

This week, Brooke got her second consecutive opportunity against Bayley. While Brooke once again showed a lot of courage, she wasn’t able to overcome the heel as Bayley hit her finisher to pick up the win.

Brooke got her spotlight on the Blue brand once again, and the match also helped set up Lacey Evans’ rise on SmackDown. After the match, The Sassy Southern Belle came out to save Brooke from Bayley & Sasha Banks, and the mic war led to Evans challenging Banks to a match.

As Evans’ daughter watched from ringside, The Lady went a bit too far as the match spilled over outside and The Boss beat her down in front of her daughter.

The result saw a double count-out, as Bayley and Brooke had to pull the two women apart. This was a good segment that helped Bayley and Banks get some good screentime while allowing a build for Brooke and Evans as well.

Earlier in the night, Carmella also returned to the ring to defeat Sonya Deville, which was a welcomed move considering how the company has almost forgotten about The Princess of Staten Island.