5 things SmackDown got right on this week’s episode (January 17, 2020)

This week, Friday Night SmackDown opened up to a big episode with a lot of promises attached. A legend was announced to return to the brand this week, while a returning Superstar was set to compete in his first match after almost a decade.

Lacey Evans and Sasha Banks were scheduled to settle their differences inside the ring for good, and fans wanted to see who else would make an announced entry into the Royal Rumble match.

Apart from that, Roman Reigns took on Robert Roode at the end of the night and closed out the show by announcing a big match for the Royal Rumble event that opened up the possibility of even more interruptions.

The Blue brand surely delivered on all that it promised this week and gave fans something to look forward to next Sunday.

In this article, we will look at the 5 things SmackDown got right on this week’s episode.

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#5 Braun Strowman makes a statement again

The exchange between Zayn and Elias was interesting

Braun Strowman wasn’t playing around this week, as The Monster Among Men demanded an Intercontinental Championship match against Shinsuke Nakamura at the Royal Rumble.

Elias appeared in the ring but was cut off by Sami Zayn. The to and fro between the two men was interesting as Zayn clarified that Strowman would not get a match against his client.

After Elias made fun of the three men, he was attacked by the heels before Strowman came out to his rescue. He sent Zayn, Cesaro, and Nakamura running back, once again standing tall in the ring and sending a message.

While this story is getting stale even though it involves WWE’s major mid-card title, we can hope that it will finally allow Strowman to pick up his first singles title while relieving Nakamura of a title he’s been holding for months but not defending.

The Drifter also seemed to be turning face, and this segment helped push that fact further too. Fans will still have to wait before they can see him compete in the ring again in a major feud.

#4 The Revival tease a new gimmick

The Usos' return to SmackDown has been nothing short of animated, as the two brothers took on The Revival in tag team action this week.

This was a big match booked for the two men right at the start to showcase the fact that The Usos had not missed a single heartbeat even though they’d been away from the ring for several months.

Jimmy and Jey outperformed Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder in this one and picked up the victory fairly easily over the former Tag Team Champions.

This was a good match for the returning men who will try to get on top of the division as quickly as they can, as WrestleMania is just a few months away.

Backstage, The Revival vented their frustration and vowed to make a change since WWE would not make it for them.

This was an interesting teaser as we all know that Dawson and Wilder are capable of so much more but have been stuck in some of the worst bookings and segments.

The two men might get out of their old school tag team gimmick and look for a fresh start, which can help them get on their toes once again and hold the company’s gold.

#3 Team Hell No get the better of The Fiend

Kane returned the favor this week

One of the biggest scheduled appearances of the night was that of The Big Red Machine, Kane.

Kane appeared to a huge pop from the WWE Universe and wasted little time to announce that he will be a part of the 30-man Royal Rumble match. This called for Bray Wyatt to appear from The Firefly Fun House to remind Kane what he did to The Eater of Worlds.

As The Big Red Machine was ready to leave, The Fiend appeared inside the ring ready to attack him once again. However, this time, the veteran seemed to be ready for the attack, and only turned around to smile at The Fiend.

Daniel Bryan then appeared and hit The Fiend with a big running knee and pulled out his dreadlocks before The Fiend decided to flee the scene.

While fans don’t necessarily need to watch The Big Red Machine at the Rumble, no one will complain about having him among the other 29 men.

Team Hell No’s plan worked extremely well, and not only did they get the better of The Fiend for once, but also teased that their partnership could continue in the future.

#2 Morrison’s return victory

Fans had been waiting for John Morrison’s return to action for some time now, and they got just that just a week before the Royal Rumble.

He wowed the fans with his iconic entry, and then took to the ring to take on none-other-than everyone’s favorite unicorn, Big E.

Throughout the match, Morrison showed that not only has he kept in shape, but gotten even better by performing on the independent circuit and other promotions during his time away from WWE.

However, The Miz and Kofi Kingston kept on providing distractions from ringside, causing the entire match to get chaotic.

After The A-Lister saved Morrison from Big E, he hit him with a Starship Pain to pick up a huge return victory.

As much as I love to watch Big E pick up wins, it was interesting to see SmackDown book Morrison to go over the big man right away.

With Miz and Morrison having two victories over the SmackDown Tag Team Champions now, it’s only a matter of time before they get in contention for the titles.

#1 Protected Banks from the Woman’s Right

Evans has another big opportunity knocking at her door

Lacey Evans was finally set to take on Sasha Banks in a singles match this week. However, a backstage brawl led to an injury to Banks’ ankle.

Adam Pearce appeared and informed Bayley that she’d be taking The Boss’ place in the match, making the non-title match official.

The Sassy Southern Belle took to the ring to make a statement, but the SmackDown Women’s Champion wasn’t ready to go down. To end the match, Evans connected a Woman’s Right to Bayley to pick up a huge non-title victory and get to the top of the SmackDown women’s division.

While the match was not one to remember, it certainly did what it was supposed to do and stretched the story involving the three women.

Later on, it was confirmed that Evans would be battling Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the Royal Rumble.

All things aside, it was interesting to watch how far WWE was ready to take things to tease a match between The Sassy Southern Belle and The Boss. It looks like they are saving a match between the two women for something much bigger!

Will Evans be able to win her first title in WWE at the Royal Rumble and then go on to feud with Banks for it? We’ll have to wait to find out!