3 Ups & 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 9)

1. Diamond In The Rough

As usual, SmackDown's biggest highlight came from the tag division, and while Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin's in-ring promo could have benefited from some trimming, the broadcast's general lack of quality makes it an easy choice at number one.

Gable and Benjamin had a bone to pick. Last week saw them fall to a spot of shoddy officiating, with the duo pinning Tag Team Champions The Usos, only for the referee to claim they'd pinned the wrong twin. The match was restarted, Jimmy and Jey prevailed, and BenjiGable (sorry...) were understandable hacked off, hence the promo.

The duo were presented as whiny, detestable heels, particularly as they ripped into the defenceless referee. Daniel Bryan eventually arrived, and while he stood be the official, the General Manager did throw the Chad and Shelton a bone, booking them in a 2-out-of-3 falls rematch at the Royal Rumble.

WWE wisely let Gable handle most of the taking, and he shone. He's a real hidden gem on SmackDown's roster at the moment, and along with him and Benjamin's rapidly escalating in-ring chemistry, the improvements in his promos are tangible. If WWE give him a chance, there's no reason he can't be a massive star. The only thing Gable lacks is size, but he has the charisma, skill, and pedigree to transcend this, as he demonstrates every single week.