5 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Dec 17)

1. League Of Nations Attack Gives Ryback Some Purpose

The opening match on Smackdown was a non-title affair between United States Champion Alberto Del Rio and Ryback. At TLC, the latter faced another member of the League Of Nations, Rusev. On Thursday's broadcast, he fell to Del Rio when the heel faction made their presence felt and distracted him. The finish felt obvious, and was easy to spot coming, but that's fine if it makes the League Of Nations look like they have strength in numbers. Post-match, the stable beat down the babyface. The message was clear, he was very much on his own, whereas the League Of Nations are there to back one another up. After facing Rusev, there were some worries that Ryback wouldn't have much of a place in any feuds going forward. This one segment changes that, he now has several targets to try and gain revenge on. In the near future, there's a very good chance fans will see Ryback face off in matches against Rusev, 'King' Barrett, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio (again). In positive news, there's now a purpose for this. Ryback has motivation to avenge what happened to him. WWE may decide to position him opposite Del Rio for the US Title, but if not they still have options to keep his face on television. What others 'ups' and 'downs' did you take from the latest edition of WWE Smackdown? Are you looking forward to the show's fresh start in January? Let us know what you think down in the comments section below!