'%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)
WWE SmackDown kickstarted the new year on a great note. We saw Sonya Deville make a surprise return to the Blue brand this week. The episode also confirmed one big title match for next week's episode. Apollo Crews will challenge Big E for the Intercontinental Championship next week.
In this article, we will take a look at three Superstars who impressed us on SmackDown and two who didn’t. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Kevin Owens
In the opening segment of WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns walked to the ring alongside Paul Heyman and Jey Uso. The Tribal Chief talked about his dominance, thanked Heyman for his service, and showered Jey Uso with praises. However, Reigns was left agitated after his speech was interrupted by Kevin Owens who looked determined to seek his revenge.
The Tribal Chief insisted that no one wants to listen to KO. However, the latter had other plans on his mind. Instead of going after Roman Reigns once again, Owens demanded a match against Jey Uso. After all, it was Uso whose constant interferences kept Owens from winning the Universal Championship twice. After a little bit of convincing backstage, the match was confirmed as the main event of SmackDown.
In their match, Owens went after Jey Uso’s throat right from the first bell. He laid a vicious attack on his opponent, giving the latter no time to breathe or pick himself up from the beatdown. The match was more balanced between the two Superstars as it progressed but KO ended up picking a deserved victory on SmackDown tonight.
That said, KO had a lot more planned for Jey Uso on SmackDown. Following their match, Owens continued to attack Jey Uso after handcuffing him to the ropes. He kept provoking Reigns to come out but when that didn’t happen, KO took Jey Uso away from the ring and threw the latter against the LED monitors of the ThunderDome.
At this point, Reigns emerged from behind and subjected Owens to a brutal response. Both Roman Reigns and Jey Uso teamed up to attack Owens with hard-hitting punches, kicks, and chair shots. Eventually, Reigns put him through the table to send a warning. The entire segment accounted for a great end to this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown and the fans will be interested to see what’s in store for all the three Superstars involved.
#1 Flopped on WWE SmackDown: King Corbin
The blame for this does not fall on the Superstar as much as it lies with his current booking on WWE SmackDown. Tonight, King Corbin was scheduled to face Big E in a singles match. However, their bout came to an abrupt end when Sami Zayn decided to interfere and attack Big E. Following that, Apollo Crews ran to Big E’s defense and helped him which led to a tag team match.
During this match, Corbin was far from dominating inside the ring. Despite two additional allies in his corner, Corbin struggled to keep the momentum in his favor. Instead, his men were threatening Zayn on the ringside. At one point, Zayn accidentally ended up hitting Corbin and the latter immediately decided to leave the match in between on WWE SmackDown.
Ultimately, Zayn was pinned by Crews as Corbin shockingly abandoned his tag team partner. Given that he is the current King of the Ring, Corbin should be booked in better rivalries which make him look strong. Unfortunately, he is being booked as an extremely cowardly heel on WWE SmackDown -`- something that the Blue brand should avoid in the future.
#2 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Jey Uso
As mentioned earlier, Jey Uso faced Kevin Owens in the main event of SmackDown. He played his role to perfection when he was brutally beaten down by Kevin Owens. Even during the match, he took a lot of responsibility to help narrate a good story throughout their battle. From his in-ring maneuvers to emotional responses everything was simply on point.
Jey Uso made it look very convincing when things turned around with Roman Reigns’ interference. He went from looking helpless to looking like a monster within seconds – a switch that has made his character more intense over the last few months. He has played a huge role in Reigns’ extended championship reign on SmackDown.
Even The Tribal Chief said that he only pushed Jey Uso to his limit because he knows that the latter deserves to be a part of something bigger on WWE SmackDown. As for Kevin Owens, he blames Jey Uso for interfering in his big matches and costing him huge opportunities. Thus, it is possible that we will see both these Superstars continue their feud on the Blue brand in the coming weeks.
#2 Flopped on WWE SmackDown: Tamina
Tonight, on WWE SmackDown, Tamina and Natalya joined forces to lock horns with The Riott Squad. It is safe to say that Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan were much better than their opponents. Both Natalya and Tamina struggled to find good chemistry inside the ring. In fact, Tamina ended up looking much weaker than she has in her last few appearances.
During this match, Billie Kay was also present at the ringside. In the closing moments of the show, it was a brief moment of distraction from Kay that led to Tamina getting pinned inside the ring. The match was so hasty that no one ended up looking like a good performer. Tamina, on the other hand, did end up looking extremely weak on WWE SmackDown.
It is clear that the creative wants to push The Riott Squad into the Women’s Tag Team Division. However, if they want Riott and Morgan to pose a credible threat to Charlotte Flair and Asuka, then they need to be involved in better matches. As for Tamina, she might do better if she is given more time alongside Natalya on WWE SmackDown.
#3 Impressed on WWE SmackDown: Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan teamed up with Otis to take on Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura in a tag team match on SmackDown tonight. This was quite an interesting encounter between all the four Superstars as they took turns to dominate throughout this in-ring battle. Eventually, Bryan came out on top as forced Nakamura to tap out.
Bryan looked like his old self inside the squared circle. There are subtle changes in demeanor that have made his overall character a lot more fun. He is sarcastic, unapologetic, and ridiculously good inside the ring – a combination that we missed on the Blue brand for a few months now. Even on this week’s episode of SmackDown, he worked well with both his opponents as well as his tag team partner.
As Bryan informed earlier, he is focused on winning the Royal Rumble at the moment. He is bound to gain a lot of momentum with such dominant performances on SmackDown, especially if you consider his current form. Hopefully, the creative will make the best use of this opportunity and will push him towards more compelling rivalries in the coming weeks.
