6 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 16)

by Andy H Murray

1. Glorious Victory

Bobby Roode Unites States Champion
WWE.com

Bobby Roode vs. Jinder Mahal was always going to be our tournament final, but while many predicted that 'The Maharaja' would walk away with the United States Championship, this wasn't the case.

WWE delivered a minor surprise in SmackDown's main event. Bobby Roode, the most popular man in the tourney, defeated the former WWE Champion cleanly. With the Singhs banned from ringside (a huge help in ensuring the bout's success), 'The Glorious One' battled his foe for over 15 minutes, fighting through his resthold-centric offence before finally putting him away with his signature DDT, securing the biggest win of his main roster career.

This was a big improvement on Mahal's earlier bout. His work wasn't dynamic, but Roode sold his plodding offence well, making his control spots infinitely more bearable. Jinder isn't an objectively good wrestler, but he is capable of having a competent match with the right opponent. This bout, coupled with his two against AJ Styles, prove it.

On top of this, Roode was the right man to win the tournament. The United States Title hasn't had much shine lately, but Bobby is a guy the fans actually want to invest in. If the WWE give him a chance, and keep his presentation strong, there's no reason they can't use him to restore its glory.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.