Best and Worst of SmackDown - Former WWE star returns after 10-year hiatus, Brock Lesnar destroys two top babyfaces

Recent years have clearly demonstrated that whenever RAW or SmackDown comes to Chicago, one can expect a top 3 episode of the year. You obviously get CM Punk in his hometown, but there is just something in the air, a pace and energy to the show that hits different whenever WWE runs the Allstate Arena in The Windy City.

Tonight's show featured an opening segment that made the first hour fly by as John Cena challenged Sami Zayn for the United States Championship. Brock Lesnar's return mid-match was followed by a liberal dose of F5s to Zayn and Cena, setting up a blockbuster match at Wrestlepalooza. Meanwhile, the main event segment witnessed the highly anticipated return of the iconic AJ Lee, appearing on WWE TV for the first time in over 10 years.

WWE, however, made sure to drag us down to reality in the meantime, reminding us that while the show was emanating from Chicago, it was still an episode of SmackDown, which means an equally liberal and fair dose of unadulterated drudgery. And really, far be it from SmackDown to suddenly raise the bar for the future.

So, without further ado, let us get to evaluating the best and worst from last night's episode of Friday Night SmackDown. As always, we'd love to hear about your thoughts on the show in the comment section.

Best: AJ Lee makes her WWE return after 10 years to a humongous pop

The shocking conclusion to WWE Clash in Paris immediately (like before the show even went off the air) led to speculation regarding a potential AJ Lee return, with some fans even expecting her return the following night in Paris on RAW. To WWE's credit, they hit the sweet spot, teasing the fans and fueling anticipation for a bit on RAW before delivering as soon as tonight.

SmackDown, being in Chicago, presented the perfect opportunity. With Wrestlepalooza just two weeks away, it was wise to allow Lee to be present to build up the match instead of further milking her return. After all, it has been 10 years. Becky Lynch deserves a shout-out here for her incredible body of work since Clash in Paris.

The CM Punk/AJ Lee vs Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch program is expected to be just a smooth reintroduction for the former Divas Champion rather than a one-off match. The key takeaways are: AJ is in the best shape of her life, has grown men and women in tears, is reunited with her husband on-screen after over a decade, and is eyeing Becky Lynch and the Women's Intercontinental Championship.

Worst: Constant commercial breaks and the uninteresting television after the opening segment

SmackDown was largely ad-free for the first 50 minutes of the program, especially for the international fans watching on Netflix. The fans in the United States watching on the USA Network missed out on parts of an absolutely stellar match between John Cena and Sami Zayn.

The long opening promo, match, and aftermath, however, meant that the show was filled with persistent commercial breaks throughout the second hour, making for a frustrating fan experience. The action itself was even blander than the commercial breaks one might have seen on the USA Network.

Well, at least the fans in the States got ads. International fans on Netflix had to watch through insufferable muzak instead. Constant promotions regarding upcoming events and robotic recaps of recent shows by Michael Cole certainly did not help.

Best: John Cena vs Sami Zayn; Brock Lesnar's return

Tonight marked the final SmackDown appearance of John Cena's career, 23 years after his main roster debut in Chicago on the blue brand. After he thanked fans in Chicago, he was interrupted by the new United States Champion, Sami Zayn, who requested Cena's permission to kick off his own version of the United States Championship open challenge, ten years after Cena did the same to help introduce and establish young talent, including Zayn himself.

Zayn, however, didn't just want to pay it forward; he tried to pay it back. The impromptu title match was set up beautifully, and the match itself was excellent, with Zayn playing the heel as Cena fought from underneath. However, at a point in the match, following an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment by John Cena, both Zayn and Cena were down, allowing Brock Lesnar the perfect opportunity to strike and ruin the party.

The Brock Lesnar appearance was always coming, and it wasn't shocking in the least, but the match itself was outstanding to the point that Lesnar was able to generate nuclear heat, despite his star power and appeal, because he ruined an absolute treat for the fans. Lesnar first F5'd Zayn before going after Cena, and once backstage, laid out the challenge for Wrestlepalooza, with the match immediately made official. The Beast will be in attendance on SmackDown next week.

Worst: The sad state of the SmackDown Women's Division

The SmackDown Women's Division has shown no signs of a revival over the past few weeks and is in its worst state in years. Becky Lynch and now AJ Lee have to be excluded from this discussion since they are obviously RAW Superstars.

We saw a total of three meaningless backstage segments involving women, all awfully acted: a backstage interview by Cathy Kelley featuring Tiffany Stratton, a confrontation between Jade Cargill and Nia Jax, and an Alexa Bliss-Charlotte Flair segment. Meanwhile, Giulia's United States Championship defense against Michin saw the otherwise hot Chicago crowd dead silent, with in-ring action scarcely interesting.