5 Ups And 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (May 2)

1. KO Batters Jericho Into Hiatus

While none of the recent Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens matches have been particularly outstanding, they've all been strong, and succeeded in furthering their long-running storyline. Last night was no different, and if it truly is the final chapter in the KO vs. Y2J rivalry, they worked towards a fitting conclusion with Owens recovering the United States Title he lost two days ago, and sending Jericho packing in brutal fashion.

Fozzy's upcoming tour made this a predictable contest, but WWE compensated for this through KO's post-match beatdown. After overcoming Jericho in the ring, Owens continued his assault, attacking the defeated veteran as EMTs tended to him. It ended with KO wrapping a steel chair around Chris' neck and throwing him into the ring post, thus providing the storyline reason to keep him written-off television for the next few months.

SmackDown has developed a pleasing habit of closing with a good-to-great main event every week, and this was no exception. Jericho's physical limitations were the only thing preventing the Owens matches from being truly excellent, but now, KO has a potentially world-class match with AJ Styles to look forward to. With Randy Orton absent, the United States Title felt like SD's most important championship last night, and this will likely continue for as long as KO and AJ are involved.