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Every week on Bleacher Report, I take an in-depth look at WWE SmackDown to recap the action, offer analysis and grade the matches, segments and anything else that takes place on the show, as well as make a few predictions for future events. Not only was this the final SmackDown of 2015, but it was also the last episode to air on Syfy before the blue brand moves to the USA Network. Various Superstars and Divas recorded special messages to wish everyone a happy new year, and just about every segment featured someone acknowledging the end of 2015. It's been an up-and-down year for ...

Sami Zayn's return intensifies the battle among the WWE NXT prospects to be the best. An emotional lightning rod with springs in his leg is back. Even a step slower after being out for much of the year, Zayn is still among the surest bests Full Sail has to offer. He has some work ahead of him to reclaim the No. 1 spot, though. Chad Gable made the most upward movement on the final NXT rankings of 2015. The mat wizard is quickly generating buzz thanks to his full-throttle approach to technical wrestling.  NXT's last show of the year was a "best of" episode, so these ...

As Bray Wyatt, flocked by his steadfast followers, evangelizes about the suffering he will bring, it's hard not to flash back to Raven and his own unsettling tirades. Raven (real name: Scott Levy) was a master of psychological warfare when Wyatt was still a little boy. During his tenures at WCW, ECW and WWE, he dug into his foes' minds, his tongue just as vital a weapon to his battles as the DDT. Black face-paint formed makeshift tears below his piercing eyes. Wild hair fell over his face. Just like with Wyatt today, he stood out, shaking up the status quo with both his ...

Awards season is upon us, with WWE leading the charge of doling out "best-of 2015" accolades. WWE.com released its annual top-10 list, and right on cue, people freaked out.   Top Tense? #WWE's "Best Superstars of 2015" is pretty funny...Sting? Charlotte? Reigns at number ONE?...New Day at 2 (while great) over Rollins/Cena... — Joshua Gagnon (@HeelDoors) December 31, 2015 WWE.com's recent article counting down the 10 best Superstars of 2015 was a fair yet controversial mix of talent. I felt Kevin Owens (No. 7) was a bit low, while Nikki Bella (No. 5) was a bit high. I loved The New Day at No. ...

Veering from the unexpected at WWE Royal Rumble 2016 and going with a wild card of a winner like Kevin Owens would infuse a high-voltage electricity into the event and the product as a whole. Predictability has plagued the annual Battle Royal in recent years. WWE foreshadowed Roman Reigns' win last year in heavy-handed fashion. Batista and John Cena's victories before that were obvious, uninspired, unremarkable. This time around, a trio of names lead the Rumble field: Cena, Brock Lesnar, Triple H. It's easy to envision a scenario where each of those wrestlers is the last man standing at the Royal Rumble and goes on to ...

We always hear how the WWE Network includes every pay-per-view in the company's history, but there is actually one event that is still unavailable. The film No Holds Barred features a special match between the two stars of the movie and two of their allies fighting inside a steal cage in a special one-night event on December 27, 1989. Hulk Hogan and Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake battled Randy Savage and Zeus (real name: Tony Lister) in a tag team cage match immediately following the film on PPV. Most people will remember the standard tag match they had at SummerSlam that year, but few even ...

Throughout 2015, we've witnessed some of the most memorable moments in WWE history, including Seth Rollins cashing in Money in the Bank in the main event of WrestleMania, The Wyatt Family reuniting and The Undertaker returning to rekindle his rivalry with Brock Lesnar. All in all, 2015 has been a solid year for WWE, especially from an in-ring standpoint. However, the year has had its share of moments most of us would like to forget—or have forgotten already—because of their insignificance or horrendous booking. Sheamus' deplorable WWE World Heavyweight Championship run comes to mind, but it was far from the worst thing ...

WWE's most intense and enthralling period is just around the corner, and WrestleMania season begins with the traditional Royal Rumble pay-per-view. The marquee match brings drama, excitement and shocks aplenty, but the majority of the card should be well worth keeping an eye on as plans for WrestleMania 32 begin to take shape at that show. As always, there will be a number of key factors worth watching, with these three in particular certainly recommended for WWE fans to pay attention to when the Royal Rumble airs.   Brock Lesnar's Role on the Show Make no mistake about it, Brock Lesnar will be back on ...

For NXT, 2015 was a year of evolution, growth and expansion. It was also a year of dynamic characters, emotional stories and phenomenal matches, all of which helped make it the hottest brand in professional wrestling. Proving to be so much more than merely a developmental territory for World Wrestling Entertainment, NXT overshadowed the company's main roster and excelled at everything Vince McMahon and Co. failed. Compelling stories fueled much-anticipated matches, and the brand took their show on the road, both for untelevised live events and TakeOver specials. Sellouts of arenas in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Detroit for shows in 2016 ensured that ...

Finn Balor's future feuds and Alex Riley's health highlight the WWE NXT news stories as 2015 comes to a close. NXT is reportedly considering having Balor face one of the developmental brand's best in-ring storytellers. Should that come to pass, the Match of the Year is going to start early. As for Riley, he and Hideo Itami could be returning from injury soon. The already red-hot NXT product promises to get even better with those two back in the mix. Elsewhere, Sami Callihan looked back at his NXT run, and a demand for the product in Chicago led to an extra show there.Begin Slideshow