WWE Superstars are getting a rare day off on Christmas Eve as Friday's edition of SmackDown was actually taped this past Friday immediately after the live show went off the air. Ratings are likely to be low for this and AEW Rampage seeing as it's the holidays, but it sounds like a solid effort.
So, what should you expect? Well, if you don't mind SPOILERS, then continue reading!
Sami Zayn won a 12 Days of Christmas Gauntlet match to become the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship at the Day 1 PPV. Now, he'll face Shinsuke Nakamura for the title. We know WWE is keen to re-sign Zayn, so him winning does make sense, especially coming off the back of a main event storyline that saw him sharing the ring with Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
Zayn eliminated Richochet to win the match, but that was his only elimination. The other participants included Drew Gulak, Mansoor, Erik, Ivar, Shanky, Jinder Mahal, Sheamus, Cesaro, Angel, and Humberto. Elsewhere on the show, SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair defeated Toni Storm to retain the title.
As for SmackDown's main event, a segment earlier in the show set the stage for Drew McIntyre and The New Day to ultimately defeat Madcap Moss and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos.
It's believed Reigns and Lesnar appear on the show in backstage pre-taped sitdown interviews.