4 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (12 Dec - Results & Review)

People are worried about SmackDown moving back to 3 hours on 2 January, and so they should be. WWE's writing team have consistently struggled to squeeze the most from the show in its current 2 hour format throughout much of 2025, so there aren't many positives to cling to when pondering a third hour being heaped on their plate every Friday.

Triple H will make sure there are some big bells and whistles for the first few episodes in 2026, but after that? SmackDown will likely settle back into a groove of one off matches and half-baked storylines. Listen, some of those one offs aren't bad, and this week's show proved it, but fans will need more reasons to tune in regularly than '*insert solid exhibition here*'.

John Cena's retirement tour has spared some of creative's blushes this year, being honest. That has given Hunter something to focus on, but too much elsewhere is undercooked. Half-baked, undercooked - there's a joke in there about SmackDown being somewhat...Raw.

Friday night's effort centred around Drew McIntyre's ongoing suspension, but also shone some spotlight on NXT members like Oba Femi and Je'Von Evans. Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest teaming up to face Aleister Black and Zelina Vega was treated like a big ol' dangling carrot in the main event slot too.

There was a lot to like on this weekly, but it's fairly easy to pick holes in a lot WWE have going on. A tag-team feud is messy, too many major players are rumbling around with little to do, and a glaring missed opportunity closed the broadcast.

Here's all the good and bad from the final SmackDown before Cena waves goodbye at SNME.