SmackDown airs tonight (Dec. 19) with a live show emanating from Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, unless it’s actually a taped show from Hershey, Pennsylvania. But we’ll get into that possibility later. Regardless, this is the third episode of SmackDown during the nine week build to Royal Rumble, which takes place on January 31 in Saudi Arabia.

WWE Champion Cody Rhodes wants Drew McIntyre reinstated from suspension ASAP so he can get him back in the ring and stomp him out like a cockroach. For some reason, GM Nick Aldis has had a tough time reinstating McIntyre even though he’s the authority figure who made the initial decision to suspend him in a matter of seconds. Drew has only complicated the matter by not playing ball with Aldis. After Cody attacked Drew in his car a couple weeks ago, Drew served WWE with legal papers related to its unsafe work environment. But that didn’t stop McIntyre from showing up at Saturday Night’s Main Event to attack Rhodes and ruin the end of his exhibition match against NXT Champion Oba Femi.

Aldis then made a personal trip to McIntyre’s home to negotiate his return from suspension. Nick proved to be a terrible negotiator when he completely caved to Drew’s demands after McIntyre rejected his terms. Those demands include a title match against Cody where Drew picks the stipulation, and that Rhodes cannot lay a finger on Drew before the match happens. That’s when WWE’s unsafe work environment got completely out of control, as Cody invaded Drew’s home for an attack. The chaotic scene ended with Cody saying “Merry Christmas, asshole!” as security tried to keep everyone apart. Solo Sikoa said his MFTs are coming after the WWE tag team championship tonight, and Uncle Howdy should just hand them over peacefully if he wants to keep his family safe. The Wyatts have not defended the belts since October 10 in Australia, by the way.

However, during Cargill’s reign, the division is even worse, with stars like Naomi and Bianca Belair out of action and Nia Jax, Candice LeRae, and others being involved in different storylines, which has led for Cargill to feud with Michin, B-Fab, and occasionally an uncalled attack on fellow heel Chelsea Green, that failed to generate any interest among fans. While Stratton initially had some problems, she worked on her mic skills and can hold her own against veterans of the game. The WWE fandom being on her side also worked in her favor a lot of the time. On the other hand, Cargill’s promos have been very short and have failed to create the desired impact. Her heel turn initially garnered interest, but the hype quickly died down due to weak booking by WWE and underwhelming promos, which ultimately undermined her momentum.