7 Ups & 2 Downs From Last Night's WWE SmackDown (Jan 23)

3. Heelin' Ain't Easy

That Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have been able to get over as heels is nothing short of remarkable. Not only are they operating in an era where traditional villains are often cheered like heroes (and vice versa), but the fans adore them, and the duo are currently working against one of the most tedious authority figures in recent memory in Shane McMahon. Despite all this, they're still able to coax the crowd into booing them. They deserve all the plaudits in the world.

Their excellence continued in SmackDown's opening segment, with their "Yep!" movement once again taking centre stage. Sami was infuriating. Him answering each of KO's sentences with a glib "yep" is the most annoying thing in the company, which means he's doing his job. The man has taken to this role with shocking aptitude, and while it remains to be seen where him and Kevin will be in a few months time, let's hope this character never dies.

Owens was great, too. Always a captivating talker, he ran through Styles and Shane, then got yep-happy himself when it was Sami's turn to spit fire. As inconsistent as he can be between the ropes, KO's mic work is consistently excellent. Opening the show with him and his pest of a sidekick will never not be a good idea.