WWE SmackDown - Best & Worst - Reason why Sami Zayn won the gauntlet match, Massive swerve planned for the Day 1 pay-per-view?

The WWE SmackDown Christmas special was a little more entertaining than we as fans expected it to be. The 'good' advertised for the show was actually quite good and the silly was offset by some good wrestling.

Of course, any review is just one person's opinion so you're welcome to voice your own in the comments. Do you agree with our assessment or did you think this episode of the blue bran was a trainwreck?

So, in a nutshell, here is the best and worst of this special taped WWE SmackDown episode.

Also, good men and women of the internet, here's wishing you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.

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#3 Best/Worst: Was Sami Zayn's big WWE SmackDown win a step back?

Hey, on the surface of it, Sami Zayn had a chance to shine on WWE SmackDown with an impressive showing. And yet, there was just something amiss about the whole affair. Isn't competing for the Intercontinental Championship a step back from whatever Zayn was doing on the Friday night show until this point?

Just think about it. Going into the match, Zayn was in segments with the likes of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, arguably the two biggest stars not just on WWE SmackDown but in the sports entertainment industry. With all due respect to Shinsuke Nakamura, they are both in a different league as compared to the Intercontinental Champion.

Sami Zayn only won the gauntlet match this week because in a sense, it was WWE telling him that he had reached his ceiling and there was no room for him in the top spot. One has to wonder if he could potentially shift to RAW from WWE SmackDown someday and mix it up with the top talent there in the world title picture.

#2 Best: Paul Heyman started WWE SmackDown on the right note

Listen, the opening moments of WWE SmackDown are a great indication of how things will go down at the WWE Day 1 pay-per-view event. One of two things is guaranteed to happen.

Either Paul Heyman sides with Brock Lesnar and helps him become the Universal Champion or he claims that it was all a ruse. The second surprise is more likely to keep Roman Reigns as the face of WWE SmackDown.

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#2 Worst: Poor Drew Gulak

Drew Gulak is one of the most talented professional wrestlers in the world and can do things few others can. And yet, he is presented as little more than a jobber on WWE SmackDown in the few weeks where he gets TV time.

We've seen how entertaining he can be when he is allowed to be himself and we've also seen how competent the man is when the bell rings. The tweet that he put out when he was eliminated almost seems like a cry for help, from the person, not just the character.

#1 Best: Ricochet stole the show during the WWE SmackDown gauntlet match

This episode of WWE SmackDown honestly belonged to Ricochet. Even though he came up short in the gauntlet match, it was clear as day that he was the biggest star to emerge from the contest.

His feats of athleticism are truly breathtaking and there's just something about the guy that makes the audience root for him. It will be great to see him and Sami Zayn go back and forth for the Intercontinental Championship on the blue brand to elevate the prestige of the title.

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#1 Worst: The food fights in the main event

No WWE SmackDown or RAW fan ever mentions Christmas-themed street fights as one of the highlights of their year. Or month. Or week. And yet, the creative team treated us to yet another atrocious main fight with grown men tossing food around.

This is a match that belonged in the middle of the WWE SmackDown card and not in the main event spot honestly. Did you guys enjoy it?