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By Ryan Satin
WWE Analyst
There’s a new Intercontinental champion, yes there is!
Seeing someone get a shiny new toy on Christmas is one of the best parts of the holiday.
Whether it’s a loved one opening up the AirPods you gave them on Christmas morning or seeing Big E hold the IC title for the first time in over five years at the end of the Christmas edition of Friday Night SmackDown, you can’t help but feel joy.
In the case of Big E, who defeated Sami Zayn in a Lumberjack Match to capture the belt, it was a necessary step after his departure from New Day.
It’s been over two months since the faction were split up in the WWE Draft and it was starting to feel like the push E seemed destined for wasn’t going to happen.
Now, though, it’s clear WWE is still planning to put the machine behind the former member of New Day to see if he can have even more success in singles competition.
First, it was the new music, merchandise and entrance.
On Friday, it was some shiny new hardware.
Can Big E live up to the hype this time around? Will this reign be more successful than his others?
During a recent episode of Talking Smack, Paul Heyman suggested the answer will be a resounding yes to both questions.
In fact, Heyman straight up said he believes New Day will only be a footnote in the greatness of Big E when it’s all said and done.
"The singles championship-minded Big E has so much potential that 10 years from now, as your story is being written, they will all say that the accomplishments that you did with the New Day pale by respectful comparison to the accomplishments that you will pull off on your own," he boldly stated on the show.
And Heyman doubled down on his perspective on this week's Talking Smack.
There’s a good chance he may be right one day, too.
New Day were successful because all three have the potential to be world champions with the right opportunity.
The reason they’re such a force when their powers combine is because of the immense skill they all possess individually, including their powerhouse member in Big E, which means the ability is inside of him.
Speaking of skill, Sami Zayn deserves a lot of credit for his work surrounding the Intercontinental title since returning in August.
He’s not only had fantastic matches with multiple Superstars and stolen every segment he’s involved in, but his character transformation also now feels complete.
The ska-loving perennial babyface is nowhere near as entertaining as the hateable whiner he’s become. And this is coming from someone who was already a big fan of his.
Following the conclusion of this program with Big E, I truly wonder what will be next for "The Great Liberator."
I would imagine he and Daniel Bryan will butt heads in the Royal Rumble at some point, as their continued involvement with each other seems to be leading to something, but WrestleMania being on the horizon makes the next few months hard to predict.
Either way … the action between Big E and Sami on Friday was fun to watch, the lumberjacks enhanced the match and the finish ended the show on a perfect high note.
What more can you ask for on Christmas night (except a PS5)?
