3 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 9)
2. Back In The Spotlight
Becky Lynch returned to the ring for the first time in two months last night, facing off against Ruby Riott in SmackDown's first match. While totally unexceptional, it was a rock solid TV bout between two of the division's best performers, who would likely have a better match in them, but still didn't disappoint.
The producers' obnoxious screen-in-screen advertisement tactic derailed Lynch vs. Riott somewhat, and there wasn't an abundance of heat, but the work was good. Becky is very effective as a beleaguered face, and was forced to endure long periods of offence from her devious foe. She fought through it, though, and while Ruby threatened to cut her off towards the end, the tattooed newcomer couldn't escape the Dis-arm-her.
What's most refreshing is that this was a clean, decisive outcome without any interference, and the bout didn't devolve into one of the messy, multi-person brawls that have plagued The Riott Squad's work so far. Having Ruby lose was an admittedly questionable booking decision, but at least Lynch came away looking strong. After almost a year doing next to nothing on SmackDown, 'The Lass Kicker' finally feels like a big deal again, and is well positioned heading into the women's Royal Rumble.