Top 10 Raw and Smackdown Christmas episodes
Christmas themed episodes of shows can be extremely hit and miss. They are usually nice, heart-warming episodes that give you a little bit of Christmas Bliss. In WWE they are usually daft with some amazing comedic gems that you don't always remember years later. This year I am here to remind you of some of those great moments and matches as we look back on the Top 10 Christmas episodes from Raw and Smackdown.
P-Nut
10 - Smackdown 2006 - 22/25/2006
We start our list with the least Christmassy episode as it only really features at the start when Batista faces off against Santa Claus.
The rest of the card is pretty decent, especially the main event, but it also features two rather gruesome moments.
The first gruesome moment comes from The Boogeyman who interupts Gregory Helms to feed him worms. The second comes from Joey Mercury and him addressing his awful broken nose. Not overly Christmassy but a good solid episode in it's own right.
Match Card
Batista vs Santa
Chris Benoit (c) vs Chavo Guerrero - US Championship
Johnny Nitro vs Matt Hardy
Ashley & Layla vs Jillian & Krystal
Booker T & Finlay vs Undertaker & Kane
9 - Monday Night Raw 2008 - 22/12/2008
We begin this show with Santino threatening to reveal Santa's secret when he wins in the main event, he is against John Cena and a mystery diva though so we are pretty safe. Normally these mysetery opponents don't live up to the hype but this time it does not disappoint. The other Christmas moment comes from a DX merchandise plug.
The matches mostly centre around eight of the top stars at the time trying to earn a place in a number one condenders fatal four way match the following week.
Match Card
Kane vs Shawn Michaels
Kofi Kingston vs Manu
Mickie James & Melina vs Jillian & Layla
Rey Mysterio vs JBL
Chris Jericho vs CM Punk
Glamarella (Beth Phoenix & Santino Marella) vs John Cena & Mystery Diva
8 -Smackdown 2004 - Christmas in Iraq - 23/12/2004
A Christmas episode in Iraq for the US Troops seems a strange concept now, but I am glad I was able to include one of them in my top 10 list. The show features a lot of feel good moments from the men and women serving in the war. It also features Santa Claus handing them presents and a hilarious moment where JBL comes out in some strange protective attire to laughs and jeers.
The matches are ok throughout but the main event tag match featuring Angle, Eddie and Mysterio is incredible.
Match Card
Rene Dupree vs Booker T
Heidenreich vs Undertaker
Hardcore Holly vs Kenzo Suzuki
Kurt Angle & Luther Reigns vs Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio
7 - Smackdown 2009 - 25/12/2009
The show begins with a segement where Vickie Guerrero and Teddy Long are preparing for Christmas. These segments would repeat through the show and as usual end in a disagreement. Laycool continue to bully Mickie James by getting her an unflattering Christmas gift culimnating in a tag match later.
The two title matches are what really make the show amazing. Undertaker defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Rey Mysterio is great and the main event between DX and The Hart Dynasty is another quality match to top off the show,
Match Card
R-Truth,Matt Hardy, Finlay & John Morrison vs CM Punk, Luke Gallows, Drew Mcintyre & Dolph Ziggler
Undertaker (c) vs Rey Mysterio - World Heavyweight Championship
Cryme Tyme vs Pat Buck & Bryce Adams
Mickie James & Maria vs Layla & Beth Phoenix
D-Generation X (c) vs The Hart Dynasty - WWE Tag Team Championship
6 - Monday Night Raw 2000 - 25/12/2000
This Raw episode from 2000 is booked entirely by Stephanie McMahon herself as Vince is away. We are treated to a couple of classic Kurt Angle segments with his whole family and Kane faces Stone Cold Steve Austin. The main event is also great as Undertaker faces The Rock.
The card is stacked, the matches are great and even a 6 man tag match wasn't terrible!
Match Card
Hardy Boyz vs Radicalz
Hardcore Holly vs Raven vs Steve Blackman (c) - Hardcore Championship
Kane vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Test & Albert vs Too Cool
Chris Jericho & The Dudley Boyz vs Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian
Right to Censor vs The Acolytes
The Rock vs The Undertaker
5 - Monday Night Raw 2009 - 21/12/2009
A Christmas Raw from the guest-host era and it's Johnny Damon. I don't know who that is but he doesn't do a bad job.
Christmas segments include a Six-Diva Santa's little helper match, The Miz taking on Santino Claus and Santa hanging around in backstage segments before listening to Big Show's Christmas Wish, which he refuses to grant. This episode of Raw is also the one where DX must go to little people's court to face charges.
The matches are ok but that's not what this show will be remembered for.
Match Card
Six-Diva Santa's Little Helper Match
Legacy (Randy Orton, Ted Dibiase & Cody Rhodes) vs Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne & Mark Henry
John Cena vs Jack Swagger
Carlito vs Chris Masters
Sheamus vs MVP
The Miz vs Santino Claus
4 - Smackdown 2011 - 02/12/2011
I don't understand the decision to have the Christmas episode of Smackdown on December 2nd but here we are, WWE booking everybody!
The show opens with Mick Foley dressed as Santa and he appears to be the on air authority figure throughout. The Divas compete in a Mistletoe on a pole match which is thankfully short and a lot of legends and superstars are partying backstage throughout.
The thing this show will most be remembered for is suprisingly not the Steel Cage match between Mark Henry and Daniel Bryan but rather because it's the episode Hornswoggle learns to speak after having his wish granted by Santa.
Match Card
Mistletoe on a Pole Match
Justin Gabriel vs Jinder Mahal
Kofi Kingston vs Tyson Kidd
Randy Orton vs David Otunga
All I want for Christmas Battle Royal
Daniel Bryan vs Mark Henry (c) - Steel Cage - World Heavyweight Championship
3 - Monday Night Raw 2001 - 24/12/2001
It's one month after the Invasion angle and now Ric Flair and Vince McMahon both own WWE and are having seperate parties, each with their own Santa. Both Santas end up fighting later on in the show to determine the better Santa. The other Christmas themed match is the Eggnog Match between Torrie Wilson and Stacey Keibler which has aged horribly when looking back at how far we have come today with womens wrestling. The main event is also an unmissable triple threat match between The Rock, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho.
Match Card
Rikishi vs Test
APA vs Billy & Chuck
Rob Van Dam vs Lance Storm
Torrie Wilson vs Stacey Keibler - Eggnog Match
Christian (c) vs The Hurricane - European Championship
Booker T vs Maven
Bubba Claus vs Tajiri Claus
Chris Jericho (c) vs Kurt Angle vs The Rock - Undisputed Championship
2 - Monday Night Raw 1999 - 20/12/1999
McMahon-Helmsley Era Madness is the best way to describe this entire show. The Heel Group are in charge and making everyone else's life very miserable. Test faces both members of the New Age Outlaws, they bully Jim Ross, they book Moolah and Mae Young in a match against both The Dudley Boyz and The Acolytes and they make Mankind fight Santa Claus in a boiler room Brawl match.
Al Snow facing The Rock in a Brahma Bull Rope Match is also a highlight on this crazy show from Christmas 1999.
Match Card
Test vs New Age Outlaws - Handicap Match
Edge & Matt Hardy vs Christian & Jeff Hardy
Kurt Angle vs Viscera
Moolah & Mae Young vs The Dudley Boyz vs The Acolytes
Mankid vs Santa Claus - Boiler Room Brawl
Godfather vs Chris Jericho (c) - Intercontinental Championship
Val Venus vs Hardcore Holly - Holiday Topless Top Rope Match
Al Snow vs The Rock - Brahma Bull Rope Match
Mean Street Posse vs Too Cool
Kane vs Big Show (c) - WWE Championship
1 - Monday Night Raw 1997 -22/12/1997
This Raw from Christmas 1997 deserves the top spot. This show is a masterpiece right from the start when you see tinsel round the top rope and DX come out with their usual antics. Sgt. Slaughter spoils the party booking them in a match against each other in the main event.
Another moment that makes this show so great is when a child sits on Santa's lap declaring he isn't the real Santa. This leads to Stone Cold Steve Austin coming down to the ring and hitting Santa with a stunner. Sable coming out in a reindeer outfit tops off the Christmas portion of the show.
Rock vs Undertaker is a good match but the main event is hilarious. Triple H and Shawn Michaels having a joke match for the European title makes me laugh everytime.
Match Card
Thrasher vs Henry Godwin
Rocky Maivia vs The Undertaker
Marc Mero vs Scott Taylor
8-Ball vs Kurrgan
D'lo Brown vs Ken Shamrock
Triple H vs Shawn Michaels (c) - European Championship
