5 Things We Learned From SmackDown Last Night

WWE opted to start the new year with a bang, booking a fairly stacked edition of SmackDown Live! [...]

By Ryan Droste

BryanShaneSDLive2018
(Photo: WWE)

WWE opted to start the new year with a bang, booking a fairly stacked edition of SmackDown Live! to start 2018.

This week's show featured the WWE Champion, AJ Styles, in a non-title bout with one of the best wrestlers in the company. The broadcast also featured the WWE SmackDown tag team titles on the line. Plus, we got the continuation of the WWE U.S. title tournament.

So as 2018 begins and we move in on the road to WrestleMania 34, what did we learn on this week's edition of SmackDown? Read on to find out.

1. The Heat Between Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon Continues

It's still obvious that Daniel Bryan wants to wrestle again. It's still obvious that this Shane McMahon and Bryan storyline is leading to a match of some sort. We just don't know if Bryan will be medically cleared to actually participate.

With AJ Styles out to open the show this week, talking about his main event match with Sami Zayn, we had both Bryan and McMahon come out to discuss the bout. Due to the fact that Shane announced he would be ringside for the match, Bryan said it would only be fair if Kevin Owens was also allowed to be at ringside.

Shane also wanted to know if Bryan is turning the "Yes Movement" into the "Yep Movement," a knod to the fact that Shane believes there is an undercover alliance between Bryan and Owens/Zayn.

2. The Titles ALMOST Changed Hands

It feels like it has been a long time since we've had a faux title change (I suppose I could be forgetting one), but we got an announced title switch this week that was reneged in the end.

It looked as though Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable had won their first WWE tag team championship together, but another referee came down to ringside and announced (correctly) that the legal man was not pinned. This resulted in the match being restarted, with the Usos eventually going on to retain the titles.

This was a pretty great television match, and we should all be looking forward to more matches between these two teams. While the New Day and Usos feud was great throughout the summer and fall, this is a breath of fresh air and these teams should be able to produce some great in-ring content in the weeks ahead. The Royal Rumble is going to be a pretty loaded card with two rumbles this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see these two rematch for the belts at that show (even if it's on the kickoff show).

3. The Lass Kicker Is Back

The Riott Squad got a much needed clean victory on this week's show over Carmella, Tamina Snuka, and Natalya. After the bout, Ruby Riott got on the microphone and talked about running rampant over the SmackDown women's division. Ruby ran down the fans, saying they probably believe in magic (they were in Orlando) even though they lead miserable lives.

It was at that point that she was interrupted by Charlotte Flair. She voiced her opposition, said she is a dreamer that believes in the magic of her dreams, and said there were a couple others who were on her side. She unveiled her two partners in a fashion as if it was a surprise, though given who the Riott Squad had just defeated in the ring, the options were fairly limited and predictable. So out came Naomi and a returning Becky Lynch who ran down to the ring and cleaned house.

4. That "Hot-Headed Commissioner" Strikes Again

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon were ringside for the main event between Styles and Zayn, and as expected, they were heavily involved in the finish.

Zayn and Styles were given a good amount of time to work a pretty entertaining television match, but the finish continued SmackDown's number one storyline and also gave us our Royal Rumble WWE championship match.

First, Styles went to roll up Zayn. The referee, who was in the way, quickly dodged them by running and driving through the middle of the ropes to the outside. Ya know, because taking a step backward would have been much harder.

Anyway, this lead to the finish because Kevin Owens checked on the referee on the outside as he attempted to get back in the ring, stalling him while Styles looked to have Zayn pinned. When he finally got in the ring to count the pinfall, Zayn kicked out.

This prompted Shane McMahon to come over and shove Owens to the ground. He then got the referee to bar Owens from ringside. Daniel Bryan then got on the microphone and said if Owens is banned, Shane should be too. During this confusion, Styles went to give Owens a flying forearm, as Owens was up on the ring apron. Styles then turned around right into a Helluva Kick from Zayn and was pinned.

5. The Royal Rumble Title Match Announcement Was Surprising

In the confusion following the main event, AJ Styles got on the microphone and he was angry. He talked about how he doesn't know who's side Bryan is on and all he wants to do is come out and entertain the fans. In the end, he was basically trying to say that as the champion he doesn't want to play second fiddle to this Shane/Bryan situation and they need to figure it out.

Styles then suggested that they have him take on Owens and Zayn in a handicap match to finish this once and for all. Bryan got on the microphone and said, sarcastically, that's a GREAT idea. He then announced Styles vs. Owens and Zayn at Royal Rumble for the title.

McMahon was shocked, as were the announcers. This was clearly an advancement of the new direction for Bryan's character, which appears to be a heel direction at this moment. That's an interesting way to book the most universally over babyface since Steve Austin (read: it won't work). After the announcement, Bryan did his Yes! chant, which of course the crowd continued to do, even after Bryan just basically turned full-on heel.

We'll see where this all goes. The more I think about it, there has to be more twists and turns coming here. The Bryan heel turn is too telegraphed. Shane going heel in the end would seem to be the more logical direction, and it really still could be the plan for all we know. Perhaps we get a swerve at the Rumble, with Shane attempting to help Owens or Zayn win (revealing he has been working with them all along), but Bryan stops him and helps Styles retain in the process. This could also be the springboard for Bryan vs. McMahon at WrestleMania. I mean, if Bryan is going to wrestle again, there's no way he does it as a heel.

Intriguing, to say the least, and I suppose that's the point anyway, isn't it?

Other notes from the show:

  • The Bludgeon Brothers destroyed Breezango before the bell could be rung.
  • Xavier Woods defeated Aiden English to advance in the U.S. title tournament. Maybe it's just me, but I think English has more potential moving forward than the tired New Day gimmick.
  • Baron Corbin talked about winning the Royal Rumble.
  • Mojo Rawley cut a promo talking about defeating Zack Ryder in the U.S. title tournament next week. I thought that match was scheduled for this week?
  • NBA legend Karl Malone was ringside at the show and did a Diamond Cutter hand gesture, recalling back to the days when he main evented a WCW by tag teaming with DDP (the announcers did not acknowledge this - what a missed opportunity). Though Malone did get involved after the show went off the air during a dark match segment with Bobby Roode.
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