6 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 16)
3. Staying Out Of The Way
The lack of Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon was part of what made last night's show such an easy watch.
The authority figures were present, but nowhere near as invasive as usual, with Daniel Bryan's United States Title tournament swerve their biggest contribution. They were ringside for the main event, too, but didn't interfere. Instead, the duo sat in their chairs, let the wrestlers get on with it, and only got involved at the end, when they presented Bobby Roode with his prize.
As obnoxious as their ongoing storyline has been lately, it was great to see WWE present Shane and Daniel like supplemental figures again. This is how babyface staffers are supposed to be booked. They shouldn't be hogging the spotlight, but enhancing it for full-time performers, which is exactly what happened on SmackDown.
It helped that Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn weren't in the building. Their presence would've almost certainly resulted in the f***ery that has killed the blue brand in recent weeks, with Shane once again coming off like a meddling egomaniac. A smart booking choice all-round, particularly for those who watch WWE for wrestlers, not their bumbling bosses.