The Best And Worst Of WWE Smackdown Live 1/16/18: Stuck Mojo

Previously on the Best and Worst of WWE Smackdown Live: We had the saddest Rusev Day on record, Chad Gable became King Douche, and AJ Styles continued to be the least-important part of the WWE Championship feud.

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And now, the Best and Worst of WWE Smackdown Live for January 16, 2018.

Best: Every New Day Feels So New

This week’s episode DIDN’T open up with any Daniel Bryan- or Shane McMahon-related bickering, which already earns an automatic Best, but we also get a State of the Union from the New Day, and it somehow feels like it’s been months since we’ve seen an honest-to-god in-ring New Day segment. It really reminded me of how fun, and fresh, and wonderful New Day’s onscreen time used to be, back before they Poochie’d themselves.

Xavier Woods’ campaigning to be United States Champion was great, New Day’s relatively-newfound love of pancakes is great, and the New Day are great. Nowhere is “absence makes the heart grow fonder” more pronounced than in pro wrestling, where there is never a week off. It’s refreshing to be reminded just why we love these guys so much.

Best/Worst: The Exact Wrong United States Tournament Final, But That’s Okay

Over the past few weeks, both Xavier Woods and Mojo Rawley have been absolutely murdering it on social media in their respective not-on-television builds for the U.S. title tournament. Woods is a perfect underdog babyface, and Rawley is world-class as an intense, entitled prick heel. That’s a layup of a tournament final. Instead, our two semifinal matches on Tuesday set up the exact opposite final, as Jinder Mahal and Bobby Roode beat Woods and Rawley, respectively, to set up THAT final.

And you know what? That’s totally fine. Because now Xavier Woods is set up to chase a heel champion as a plucky babyface underdog who can thwart whatever jerk is holding the title, and Rawley is waiting in the wings to jump and challenge a babyface champion.

Also kudos to Mahal and the Singhs putting a twist on the standard formula, where the Singhs’ interference was specifically to eliminate Woods’ New Day teammates and even the playing field for their boss, and said interference wasn’t the immediate reason for Mahal hitting Khallas and winning the match.

Roode vs. Rawley was probably the better match, as Rawley continues to show intensity and dominance, and we ALL bought the nearfall on the fireman’s carry flapjack. Rawley is destined for bigger and better things, but he’s off to a great start.

And of course, we got a double-sudden-impromptu finals, as the big match at the end of the book has been super-downgraded from Royal Rumble prelim, to main eventing the Rumble go-home show (maybe), to “oh what the hell, let’s just get it over with.”

Best/Worst: F*ck It, We’ll Do It Live

I love a tournament, and I love a tournament final, but man alive, hotshotting the finals to suddenly be tonight (and was sort of a way for Daniel Bryan to punish his talent, again) really telegraphed that we weren’t really going to get a clean or definitive finish in said finals.

Or so I thought!

Roode and Mahal turned in a very solid main event, with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan at ringside and the Singh Brothers barred from the aforementioned ringside. It was just a straight-up tournament finals, with a clean ending that was actually super great: Roode reversing Khallas in midair and hitting the Glorious DDT to win his first main roster championship.

A supplementary Best to this tournament giving us a reprieve, if only for one night, from the ceaseless and nonsensical bickering between Bryan and McMahon. Shane only appeared on this episode to make his entrance, sit at ringside for the finals, and co-present the title to Roode. Can every week be the U.S. tournament finals?

Best: Royal Rumble Entrant Promos, Even When They’re Bad

One of the greatest traditions of the Royal Rumble, which fell by the wayside but has come back in recent years, is the 10- to 30-second promos from each Rumble entrant. This year, the twist on them appears to be that all of the promos are filmed to look like they’re selfie promos from each Superstar. And in some cases, they actually are! Historically, even when these are bad, they’re good, because at the very least, it makes every person look like they actually give a shit about winning the Royal Rumble.

Baron Corbin’s promo was fine, and Randy Orton’s and Shinsuke Nakamura’s were actually extremely good. The montage of promos from every Smackdown Live woman varied, but nothing was actively bad. Sarah Logan got through her sentence just fine!

Also, while we’re talking about the women, please god, let Carmella win the women’s Royal Rumble match. There would be nothing better than the first women’s Money in the Bank holder ALSO just winning a title shot at WrestleMania by winning the Rumble. She could lose her Rumble-earned match, wallop the champ with a chair, and then cash in! The possibilities are very limited!

Worst: Put The God Dang Fashion Files Back On Television

On this evening, we were not only denied a new episode of Fashion Files (again), but we were also denied some prime Rusev Day goodness. I hate that Fashion Files has been relegated to WWE Network and WWE’s YouTube channel in recent weeks, but I will have to comfort myself in knowing that at least they’re still getting SOME resources devoted to them each week.

I also have to keep reminding myself that Tyler Breeze and Fandango being amazing and hilarious on YouTube exclusives is exactly how they got a handful of shirts and screen time in the first place. There may not be room for them on television at the moment, because Shane McMahon has to huffily sweat at Daniel Bryan and a couple of heels each week.

Worst: “How ‘Bout Nope” INDEED

AJ Styles got a backstage interview where he did a bad impression of the outstanding Sesame Street Yip-Yip Martians, and tried to get “Kami” over as an insult term for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

This is the WWE Champion and the best wrestler in the world, and he’s being used to deliver sub-“Sufferin’ Succotash” burns in 90-second bursts backstage, because we gotta get to all this piping hot “feuding authority figures” content on our TV screens each week. GREAT JOB, EVERYONE.

Best: Fine; It’s Fine

The six-woman tag team match was totally fine, and it was wholly different from what happened with Absolution on Raw, if that’s the sort of thing that bothers you. It’s great to have Becky Lynch back in action, it’s great to give all the members of the Riott Squad something to do while highlighting strengths and minimizing weaknesses, and continues to show the #Squad can dominate via strength in numbers and being a cohesive unit.

Also, I cannot WAIT to hear what Liv Morgan has named her Codebreaker finisher. Please let it be called the Liv Free And Die Hard.

{ Null Set }: We’re Not Going To Mention The Uso Penitentiary

We’re just not going to mention it! We’re not going to talk about it at all, and that’s for the best for everyone involved.

Best: USA Network Isn’t Mad At All

Immediately after Smackdown Live on Tuesday, USA Network aired the Top 25 Raw Moments special that debuted on WWE Network on Monday night. On one hand, it’s cool that they did that, but on the other hand, USA Network absolutely, 100 percent counter-programmed the premiere of the Mixed Match Challenge on Facebook Watch.

Sure, WWE and Smackdown Live and USA aired promos for the MMC all night, but that’s definitely what this is, right? USA isn’t mad at all. They’re actually laughing right now.

Best: Top 10 Comments Of The Week

Harry Longabaugh

WWE Network base price – $9.99
To add on the Breezango channel, add $1.99
For exclusive Rusev Day content (released every Rusev Day), add $2.99

AwkwardLoser

“Rusev Day” btw sounds like the name of a Hesiman Trophy finalist Running Back of a depression era Shortstop

Amaterasu’s Son

Look at Bobby still selling the ribs. Man is like DDP in Ric Flair’s clothes.

troi

Brie Bella: Bryan I took our daughter to the zoo yesterday and we saw lions.
Daniel Bryan books Brie vs Birdie in a Lion’s Den Match

AwkwardLoser

Let this be the night that Paige reveals herself as the leader of The Riott Squad and work manager on both shows

Ja Gi Kyung-Moon

So it’s Canada vs Canada for the fate of the United States.

I always knew it would come to this.

The Real Birdman

Mojo needs a move called The Terra-pin

FinnSasha v Kinsasha (go away Nattie)

Mr. Bliss

Vince: “The Internet is tired of seeing my kids cut promos to open the shows? Give them an hour of Jinder and MOJO matches, we’ll see how they feel about my kids then.”

Blade_222

I’m hoping Mr. USA Derrick Bateman interferes in the final match for the us title next week.

Next Week: Brandon returns! Also it’s the go-home show for the Royal Rumble. So that’s two things to look forward to.