5 Ups And 3 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Feb 18)

Smackdown felt superior to Monday Night Raw this week. That's not something pro wrestling fans have been able to claim a lot over the past few years, and not since the days of the 'Brand Extension' has the Thursday night show seemed so tight and focused on a regular basis. Naturally, the move to the USA Network has helped shift WWE's own feelings towards the secondary show. It's also important to note that Smackdown just feels like an easier watch than Raw. There's certainly less filler on the blue brand overall, and the company have even started building towards matches and appearances on the program. That's an aspect which sat neglected for the longest time, so it's heartening to see that management are finally paying it some attention. This week's show featured a tag-team match pitting the Dudleys against Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose. The seeds were sown for that one on Monday Night Raw, but it wasn't the only big match taking place on the show, as Chris Jericho faced The Miz and answered the challenge made on by AJ Styles. As good as much of the broadcast was, there were also a couple of negatives on the last show before Fast Lane, which we'll look at now...