5 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 26 - Results & Review)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Hard Work Pays Off

Damage CTRL Bayley IYO SKY Dakota Kai Asuka Kairi Sane
WWE.com

Live crowds just weren't into Katana Chance and Kayden Carter as champs. The pair had been playing before crickets every single week they appeared in-ring, so Asuka and Kairi Sane as Women's Tag-Team Champions is a clear upgrade on that. All four women managed to get a watchable match out of the title switch as well.

Bonus.

Of course, WWE will continue playing 'pass the parcel' with these belts, but it's hard to argue against a closing stretch like the one produced here or The Kabuki Warriors seizing gold. Asuka and Kairi work so well together (they always have), and they're higher-profile champs than Chance and Carter.

Now, when Bayley fails to win the women's Rumble, other members of Damage CTRL can question what she's bringing to the party. That's guesswork, but it seems like the kind of story WWE fancies telling with the group. Fingers crossed The Warriors can get a few killer matches out of their run along the way.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more wrestling, check out WWE Royal Rumble 2024: 10 Things That Must Happen and WWE Royal Rumble 2024: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True!

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.