10 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 29)

8. Feel-Good Hit Of The Winter

Shane McMahon The Miz Dad
WWE.com

F*cking hell. This Shane McMahon/The Miz storyline is good, somehow.

What looked like a predictable betrayal angle and another excuse for the Commissioner to hog the spotlight away from full-time roster members has turned into a lovely slice of feel-good fun. The Royal Rumble match over-delivered. As a result, Miz and McMahon taking the SmackDown Tag Team Titles almost felt gratifying, and they followed up with a solid segment last night.

His trust in Miz finally cemented, Shane returned his partner's favour from a few weeks prior, presenting a video package on the duo's time together. Then came his other gift. Miz's father, George, was trotted out from the back, and after leaning on the narrative that young Michael's old man had never once said he was proud of him, WWE delivered the right payoff: "Mike, I love you, and I am very proud of you."

It looked for a brief moment like McMahon was going to turn on both Mizanins. He didn't, though, and while a betrayal may yet materialise, WWE deserve great credit for subverting expectations on what initially looked like a horrendous angle.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.