5 Ups & 4 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 30)

1. Tye's Midcard Malaise

Tye Dillinger Baron Corbin
WWE.com

It was good to see Tye Dillinger back in action last night. Having worked just one televised bout since October 2017, 'The Perfect 10' first appeared backstage, asking Shane McMahon for a match with Sami Zayn, who stole his place in the weekend's Royal Rumble. Baron Corbin showed up, and this led to a match between the two later on. The outcome? Not good. Not good at all.

Corbin vs. Dillinger was nothing. Drab, lifeless, and devoid of heat, it was the worst kind of house show stall-fest presented on national television. In a bout comprised entirely of sluggish striking exchanges and dull grappling sequences, neither man offered a compelling argument for increased TV time, particularly Tye, who you'd think would go all out to impress after spending so long on the sidelines.

Granted, dragging a compelling bout from a wrestler as basic as Baron is no small task, but Dillinger is better than this. He's a solid midcard talent with good charisma who should probably be a perennial Intercontinental Title contender. He certainly didn't show it last night, though. This was bad, even by Corbin's standards, and while some may be tempted to point the finger at 'The Lone Wolf,' Dillinger looked no better.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. 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.