4 Ups & 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (April 18)
1. AJ Styles Countout Win Protects Baron Corbin
AJ Styles is finally embracing fan support that has been there even when he was battling the likes of John Cena, Dean Ambrose and Shane McMahon as a heel, and the former WWE Champ is all-but guaranteed to face Kevin Owens post-Payback for the United States Title.
On this week's show, the 'Face That Runs The Place' met Baron Corbin in SmackDown's main event. A solid match somewhat overshadowed by Kevin Owens providing guest commentary at ringside, the headliner nonetheless had a great finish that protected everyone involved.
It wouldn't have made sense for Styles to pin Corbin, especially because WWE clearly have high hopes for Baron in the near future, and it would have been completely stupid to book a Corbin win over the popular AJ. Therefore, the countout call that ended the match must be considered the correct decision.
Not only is Baron Corbin protected by this, the budding rivalry between Styles and Kevin Owens keeps ticking along due to KO's accidental involvement in the finish. This was great work all round from everyone concerned.
What other 'ups' and 'downs' did you spot on this week's WWE SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!