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Last night's SmackDown was generally a steady affair. While this week's RAW was a show of high highs and low lows, SmackDown just sailed along. That need not be a bad thing if the blue brand looks to slowly but steadily heat up before WrestleMania. The show admirably did its job in building up more characters than it knocked down.
As the spectacle in New Orleans approaches, which SmackDown Superstars got off to a good start and which stumbled out of the gate?
Gained momentum: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens surely didn't have a good night last night and look set to have a bad few weeks to come, which means that their upcoming WrestleMania season looks very, very good.
Though their run-in at Survivor Series was very underwhelming, the blue brand at least looks to be making the most of it as it fully cemented them as the most despised men on the SmackDown roster.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. the entire SmackDown locker room would have been enthralling, though it looks like that was blunted somewhat after their lumberjack match descended into a melee with every man for himself. Still, their heel runs are only going up from here, straight into a big WrestleMania program.
Lost momentum: Rusev and Aiden English
The criminal mistreatment of Rusev continues. Suckered into supporting the outlaws alongside his odd associate Aiden English, they got the least out of the melee, getting a beating from The New Day for their transgression that will ultimately amount to nothing.
While Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens remain SmackDown's most wanted men, Rusev and Aiden English are just laughable accomplices who are more to be pitied than despised.
Look for them to either be eliminated from the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal or sitting backstage with nothing to do in the Mercedes Benz Superdome.
Gained momentum: Bobby Roode
After a dismal showing at Survivor Series, we may have seen the beginnings of a much-needed spark in Bobby Roode's main roster run last night when his exchange with Baron Corbin began the melee during last night's main event.
Should this lead to a United States title feud (and there's really no reason why it shouldn't), it would be a much-needed breath of fresh air for the former NXT Champion.
It's rather nonsensical that an excellent heel like Bobby Roode would be working this feud as the lacking babyface against the comparatively lacking heel in Baron Corbin. But in his current position, you take what you can get.
Finding himself in a prominent mid-card position heading into WrestleMania is far from the worst place to be, though the Show of Shows is still some ways away, so there's no guarantee it lasts that long.
Lost momentum: Natalya, Becky Lynch, and Naomi
Destroyed by Asuka at Survivor Series, her women's championship rematch ruined, it's unclear where Natalya goes from here.
The most likely scenario is that she demands another at Clash of Champions due to the interference, a demand which Shane McMahon or Daniel Bryan will agree to. It's unlikely that she will win the match, though. There's not much left to do on the Road to WrestleMania from there.
If Natalya's prospects look bleak, Naomi and Becky Lynch's look pitch black. After a disappointing Survivor Series, the two were the first victims of SmackDown's newcomers.
While Becky looks like she has a big match at WrestleMania pencilled in, she'll likely be spinning wheels for a few months, while Naomi might wind up having nothing, lost in the shuffle of the newcomers.
Gained momentum: Ruby Riot, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan
Another group of surprising NXT call-ups debuted on the main roster last night in what was, annoyingly, a cut and paste of the events on RAW the previous night.
Yet, it made an impact nonetheless, as the newcomers made themselves known by first laying out Becky and Naomi, then trashing the SmackDown Women's Champion and her #1 contender.
Though they aren't quite the faces we expected (the Iconic Duo were far more favoured), there's no doubt that SmackDown's women's division needed some new blood and they're a welcome addition. With WrestleMania wide open, should the Horsewomen match happen, all three of them have a big chance to shine.
Gained momentum: The Bludgeon Brothers
The return of Luke Harper and Eric Rowan was exactly what it needed to be. Freed of Bray Wyatt's toxic miasma, they're a welcome addition to an already strong SmackDown tag team division and have to be an early favourite for a big WrestleMania match involving the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.
Gained momentum: Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable
A victory over Jey Uso in classic 50/50 booking fashion following last week's show was effective in keeping Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable firmly in the #1 contender's spot for the Usos' tag team titles heading into Clash of Champions. It's almost certain that the match will happen there.
And while the Usos must be considered the early favourite to retain on December 17th, it's nevertheless a very good spot for Benjamin and Gable to be in. The breakup of American Alpha hasn't caused Gable to miss a step. In seeing Jason Jordan's woes, I'm sure Gable is glad to be right where he is.
Gained momentum: AJ Styles
Fresh off a match of the year candidate against Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series, AJ Styles cemented his place as a strong WWE Champion even in his defeat, with a notable boost from Paul Heyman following the bout.
With WWE's Thanksgiving Classic now in the rearview mirror, we move toward the filler rematch nobody really wants to see against Jinder Mahal, which will take place at Clash of Champions.
AJ Styles sounded supremely confident during another cookie cutter Jinder Mahal promo, delivering a beating to the Singh Brothers in their attempted ambush for good measure.
Blissfully, AJ must be considered the favourite to retain in December, and he'll then move on to bigger and better things as WrestleMania comes nearer.
