'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
SmackDown Live has come and gone and the build continues towards the Royal Rumble. Main stories are continuing to be built, but there were some slightly more subtle points that grabbed the attention here are some bit you may have missed from this week's show:
#4 Mixed Match Challenge
SmackDown Live is only 2 hours long and with multiple stories to progress and superstars entering the Royal Rumble match as well, it might have been easy to miss the MMC teams announced in this show. Sami Zayn surprised Becky Lynch to be her partner in crime for the upcoming tournament and then Shinsuke Nakamura photo-bombed Natalya's selfie to make the second team of the evening.
#3 Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable Heel Turn
The major point of the in-ring promo from the team of Benjamin and Gable was to make sure Daniel Bryan and SmackDown Live management knew how unfair it was that they were not Tag Champs and demanded their rematch. This resulted in a 2 out of 3 falls match at the Royal Rumble.
However, it was the way the request was delivered, with both coming across as arrogant and cocky, yet whining about the injustice, as well as insulting the Alabama crowd that has now portrayed the two as bad guys. Expect to see more of this and some shady shenanigans going forward.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles
This segment focused on Randy Orton and AJ Styles before their team up later that night against Owens and Zayn. The conversation went through tactics for that evening to then Randy ensuring AJ that he would win the Royal Rumble and would face AJ at WrestleMania for the WWE World Championship.
It was against the odds that Randy won the 2017 Royal Rumble so it is extremely unlikely he wins this year, so the odds are on for AJ to be champion going into WrestleMania and he will need an opponent. Shinsuke made his intention subtly clear by tapping the belt that AJ held, and he would be coming for that title too. That match would be the much likely and sought after WrestleMania "Main Event".
#1 Daniel Bryan or Shane McMahon
Both SmackDown Live authority figures have been bickering for weeks, and it is likely that one of them will be positioned as the true bad guy soon. It is up in the air who that may be, however, as both seem to say and carry out both good and bad things.
Both are universally loved by the crowd for what they have done in the past so it is unclear who will turn. Daniel told Shane he will always be a hot head and make bad decisions, whilst Daniel has been siding with the two bad guys Owens and Zayn, whilst also leaving the camera shot with an ominous stare. One to watch how this story plays out and whether Daniel could really come back to the ring.
