SmackDown’s Holiday Havoc: Cody Rhodes Goes Rogue and Tag Team Turmoil
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Well, apparently, nobody sent that memo to the WWE locker room. If you tuned into Friday night’s SmackDown expecting holiday cheer and eggnog, you were in the wrong place. Instead, we got home invasions, backstage brawls, and a general manager who looks increasingly like he needs a stiff drink.
This wasn’t just a wrestling show; it was a statement. From the top of the card to the opening bell, the blue brand is clearly trying to shake off that end-of-year fatigue before 2026 kicks down the door. Let’s break down the chaos from Grand Rapids.
The American Nightmare Becomes a Home Intruder
Let’s be honest: nothing says “personal rivalry” in professional wrestling quite like showing up at your enemy’s house uninvited. We’ve seen it with Stone Cold and Brian Pillman, we’ve seen it with Triple H and Randy Orton, and now, we’ve got Cody Rhodes channeling his inner burglar against Drew McIntyre.
In a segment that felt more like a Hollywood thriller than a wrestling promo, we saw Nick Aldis trying to play peacemaker at McIntyre’s Florida home. But while the “Scottish Warrior” was busy trying to lawyer up regarding the “no contact” clause, his security cam caught Rhodes on the front porch.
The ensuing brawl was gritty, ugly, and exactly what this feud needed. McIntyre shouting “Merry Christmas” while being separated by cops is the kind of unhinged energy that makes this guy so watchable. But the real story here is the shift in Rhodes. This isn’t the smiling babyface kissing babies; this is a champion with an edge.
Later in the night, Rhodes dropped the line of the year on Aldis. When the GM tried to reassert authority, Rhodes looked him dead in the eye and called himself “QB1.” That’s a franchise player flexing his muscles. He reminded Aldis that while the GM runs the show, the quarterback runs the franchise. It was a mic-drop moment that blurred the lines between storyline and reality perfectly.
Tag Team Chaos: The Good, The Bad, and The Confusing
The tag team division was all over the map this week. Let’s start with the confusing: The Kabuki Warriors. Asuka and Kairi Sane are holding the gold, yet they just took a clean loss to Nia Jax and Lash Legend.
Look, I get it. Jax is a monster, and Legend is a star in the making. But pinning your champions weeks before a title defense? That’s booking 101 backwards. It devalues the belts and makes the champs look like flukes. The post-match visual of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss rushing down didn’t help clarify things much, either. It feels like the division is crowded with talent but starving for direction.
On the flip side, we had absolute magic in the mid-card with Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov teaming up against DIY. This is why we watch. You put four guys with that level of motor in a ring, and you’re going to get fireworks. Hayes and Dragunov have zero business working this well together, but their chemistry is undeniable. Dragunov hitting the H-Bomb, followed by Melo’s Nothing But Net was poetry in motion.
The Wyatt Sicks and MFTs Brawl To a Standstill
The main event on SmackDown promised chaos, and it delivered—though maybe not in the way purists wanted. The Wyatt Sicks defending against the MFTs ended in a double disqualification after Erick Rowan decided to turn Talla Tonga into a lawn dart on the outside.
Some fans might groan at a non-finish to close the show, but let’s be real: these two factions aren’t solving anything with a wrestling hold. This is gang warfare. The brawl that closed the SmackDown, spilling all over the ringside area, sold the animosity better than a three-count ever could. It keeps the belts on the Wyatts while protecting the MFTs’ credibility. It’s messy, but it works.
Damian Priest’s Bad Night At the Office
We have to talk about the opener. Damian Priest is trying to move on to bigger things in 2026, but Aleister Black is the ghost of Christmas Past that just won’t leave.
Priest tried to give a classy nod to the retired John Cena, but Black and Zelina Vega weren’t having it. The attack was brutal—shovel, chair, table. Black hitting the Meteora through the table was a sickening thud to start the show. This feud is far from over, and honestly? I’m here for it. Black feels dangerous again, and Priest plays the vengeful babyface well.
The Final Verdict On SmackDown
Was this a perfect SmackDown? No. The women’s tag booking is a head-scratcher, and the main event finish was a cop-out for some. But the highs were high. Rhodes is doing the best character work of his career, acting like the undisputed king of the mountain. Dragunov and Hayes are stealing the show bell-to-bell.
SmackDown is heading into the new year with momentum. The stories feel personal, the stakes feel high, and the punches feel real. If this is the energy they’re bringing into 2026, buckle up. It’s going to be a wild ride.
