6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (31 Jan - Results & Review)

2. More Fuel For CM Punk’s Fire

CM Punk has now confronted both sides of the WWE Title ladder match slated for the Rumble. That was a crafty decision by Triple H, and it's even better that Punk went nose to nose with Cody Rhodes over on Raw first. Think about it: That gave Kevin Owens even more to complain about, because it looked for all the world like everyone was looking past him towards possible WrestleMania blockbusters.

Punk apologised for that, but was open and honest about his desperation to win the Rumble then do something KO has already done twice. In other words, he needs to win the 30-man match and headline 'Mania before he goes crazy. Owens brought that up, and both men needled each other with spiky promos. The fun thing is that Punk remained respectful until Kev showed his true colours.

Good character work from both.

Things got heated enough that Punk challenged Owens to a fight. Living to war another day, the heel walked away with a smirk. That's very in-vogue for KO these days. He's more of a sneak attack artist who no longer fancies living up to his 'Fight, Owens, Fight!' claims of yesteryear. That was then and this is now. You've gotta love some character development in your wrasslin!

Of course, these cross-brand moments will have to stop for a while once the Transfer Window slams shut. If they don't, what’s the point? WWE would be shooting themselves in the foot by promoting yet another roster split plot device then totally ignoring it. This must be the last time a top Raw star appears on the blue brand without officially switching until post-WrestleMania.

Likely won't be, but a guy can dream.