5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (Jan 27)

by Jamie Kennedy

1. Strong Main & Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens Solo Sikoa Sami Zayn
WWE.com

Creative deftly sidestepped the need to have Solo Sikoa take a clean or definitive loss against a major star. The DQ decision and Sami Zayn's involvement during the main event served several masters. It keeps Solo strong, and it pushes the Bloodline story along too.

Sami staying away from the building at the top of the show was neat follow-on from his "Trial" at Raw Is XXX. Also, Jey Uso calling on Zayn to help the family out when Adam Pearce booted The Usos from the building for brawling with Kevin Owens was fab.

WWE has really done a stunning job with this entire story.

The match between KO and Solo was worth seeing too. Anyone who likes seeing workers lay it in would get a kick out of this, and it's great to know Triple H is high-enough on Sikoa to protect him. The build for Owens vs. Roman Reigns has been background noise to the Sami stuff, but everyone still did well with what they had here.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more like this, check out WWE Royal Rumble 2023: 10 Things That Must Happen and WWE Royal Rumble 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True!

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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.