WWE SmackDown: 3 things we are glad didn’t happen on this week’s episode (January 22, 2019)

SmackDown Live kicked off in emphatic fashion just a few days before the Royal Rumble, and managed to make the rivalry between Asuka and Becky Lynch even more intense with a really good segment.

Even though the match between Mandy Rose and Naomi, which had been built up for weeks, did not work out very well, there were a few great spots in the entire episode which made the road to Royal Rumble more interesting.

The creative tried to cook the rivalry between the Bar vs Shane & The Miz to not leave it too rare, and heated up the rivalry between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles to near perfection.

The show also marked the return of Randy Orton, who attacked Samoa Joe to remind people that he too will be a part of the Royal Rumble.

However, there were a few things we are glad didn’t happen on this week’s episode. What were they? Find out below and share your thoughts in the comments section!

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#3 Mustafa Ali beat Samoa Joe

A loss would have greatly affected Joe's career

Mustafa Ali has made waves since he has moved from the cruiserweight division to SmackDown Live.

Not only has he risen to prominence on the main roster, but has also been termed the heart of SmackDown Live in such a short period of time.

Samoa Joe, on the other hand, has struggled to find his footing on the main roster even after all these years. He has had some good moments and many bad moments, which has usually kept him out of the WWE Universe’s minds until his music hits.

Since Samoa Joe has lost a lot of matches in the past year, it was a good move to have him emerge victorious in the first bout between Mustafa Ali and himself.

This does not hurt the Ali’s reputation, and helps Joe recover his image a bit. It’s surprising to see how many losses one of the biggest villains of SmackDown has amassed in twelve months!

#2 The Miz beat Cesaro

The Bar took their revenge from last week

Last week The Miz threw a birthday bash for his new tag team partner, Shane McMahon, in the middle of the ring. It turned into an argument with The Bar, and later a match between The Miz and Sheamus.

Even though The Miz was not ready and not dressed to compete in a match, he still managed to beat the Celtic Warrior after some distractions, and embarrassed The Bar.

This week The Miz took on the other member of The Bar, Cesaro. Cesaro is one of the best and strongest wrestlers on SmackDown Live today, and thankfully WWE let him win this match, which did not decrease the wrestler’s image.

Even though this feud hasn’t kicked off too well or doesn’t seem too promising, as it seems way too goofy, it was a smart move to have The Miz beat Sheamus and lose to Cesaro rather than have it the other way around.

One will also have to wait and see how Shane performs in the match at the Royal Rumble, as he hasn’t really competed in a good match against a threatening opponent for quite some time now.

#1 Charlotte get included in the Women’s Championship match

We've seen Charlotte become a part of many championship matches

The opening segment of SmackDown saw one of the hottest feuds on the roster boil down in the ring.

Becky Lynch made her way out to the arena, and said her journey to WrestleMania begins Sunday at the Royal Rumble. She also said that she is better than Asuka, and will prove it by beating her for the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Soon after, Asuka made her way to the ring, and The Empress of Tomorrow came face to face with The Man. Things started to heat up before Charlotte’s music hit.

Usually, when that happens, it means Charlotte will also slide into the match and become part of it. A triple-threat match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the Royal rumble loomed, but thankfully that did not happen.

Instead, Charlotte trash-talked Asuka, which led to Asuka attacking Lynch from behind, and an extended brawl broke out which required another physical separation.

Hopefully, the match between Asuka and Lynch will remain a single’s affair at the Royal Rumble.