Last night's episode of Friday Night SmackDown marked the final stop WWE took before Clash in Paris this Sunday, and it was a solid show from top to bottom, with one of the hottest crowds of the year and some great in-ring action. Where the show lacked, though, was building on some major developments from last week.The show opened with another masterclass in verbal performances from John Cena, and ended with a fantastic main event that concluded with a historic title win for Sami Zayn that is sure to boost SmackDown in the months to come.In this article, we shall discuss the best and worst from the August 29, 2025, episode of Friday Night SmackDown, and as always, we'd love to know your thoughts and assessment of the show in the comment section.Best: John Cena and Logan Paul segmentJohn Cena and Logan Paul engaged in another heated war of words on tonight's SmackDown, and Cena was just brutal on Paul as he had been last week. An unhinged babyface Cena on the microphone is what fans had been clamoring for for the longest time, and his burying of Logan Paul works on multiple levels because fans genuinely despise Paul. And The Maverick continues to play his role to perfection as well.A beautiful segue from the segment saw Cena go up the stage and apologise to the "Brussels Kid," who had hilariously become a meme after Cena announced his break-up with the WWE Universe during his first heel promo in Brussels earlier this year. When Cena declared his relationship with each person of the WWE Universe toxic, the camera panned to the "Brussel Kid" for several seconds, and he became an infamous meme among wrestling fans on the internet.Worst: No follow-up on Brock Lesnar-John CenaThis isn't some arbitrary or subjective criticism of the creative direction and pace of the show and this particular story. This is a clear misstep in storytelling. Last week, towards the end of SmackDown, Nick Aldis informed John Cena that he had just heard from Brock Lesnar, but before he could divulge any further information, Logan Paul sneaked up from behind Aldis and sucker-punched Cena. That's how the show ended: on a cliffhanger. It has been an entire week since then.Well, even if major storyline developments are supposed to play out in front of fans live on the shows, and even if Aldis didn't share with Cena what Brock Lesnar had to say throughout the past week, why didn't Aldis share that information with Cena and the WWE Universe last night? It makes no sense and immediately cartoonizes a massive mainstream story that is supposedly set to headline WrestlePalooza, WWE's inaugural PLE on ESPN.Best: Sami Zayn wins the United States Championship on SmackDownSmackDown delivered a historic moment in Lyon as Sami Zayn defeated Solo Sikoa in a thrilling main event to capture the United States Championship for the first time in his career. It felt like the perfect call: the Lyon crowd got a deserved and unforgettable payoff, while Solo can now move on to finish his feud with Jacob Fatu without the U.S. Title attached.More importantly, putting the belt on Zayn gives SmackDown a much-needed boost. His ability to elevate mid-card talent, craft compelling stories, and consistently deliver in the ring makes him an ideal champion to stabilize the blue brand. Beyond that, it positions him for even bigger things; perhaps a Royal Rumble win and long-overdue World Title run down the line.Worst: No Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre for Clash in ParisIt was widely expected that a match between Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre for Clash in Paris would be made official on last night's SmackDown. Alas, despite a great promo segment that saw McIntyre plant seeds of doubt in The Viper's mind vis-a-vis his relationship with Cody, no such announcement was made. Despite the undeniable star power for Clash in Paris, the card still lacks something; the matchmaking having failed to excite a significant portion of the WWE Universe.Adding McIntyre vs Orton to the card would have mitigated this ambivalence to a great extent, with a storied history, a compelling conflict, and potentially high stakes if Nick Aldis were to announce the winner of the match would receive a WWE Championship opportunity.Cody Rhodes' return as the centerpiece of Friday Night SmackDown is sure to spice things up imminently, and it remains to be seen where this story goes. The decision not to have the match on the Clash in Paris is understandable, and yet, it leaves a sour taste in one's mouth when looking at the rest of the card.