3 Interesting observations from this week's SmackDown Live (February 12, 2019)

From Kofi Kingston pushing himself to the extreme to Randy Orton standing tall in the end, this week's edition of WWE SmackDown Live (12th February 2019) featured a lot of contrasting moments indeed.

Just like last week's episode, the show focused on a select few storylines only. With that being said, from what we witnessed last night, there were some really good moments for the most part. Even though one could have wished for more, the episode did a good job in providing context for the upcoming Elimination Chamber PPV.

With Elimination Chamber taking place this Sunday, here are a few interesting observations you may have missed during this week's edition of SmackDown Live.

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#3 R-Truth and Asuka did not appear on the show for two consecutive weeks

R-Truth and Asuka did not appear on last night's show, despite being champions of the blue brand

It's a shame that last week's article pointing out interesting observations from SmackDown Live started with highlighting R-Truth's absence, and one week later, the situation remains the same.

It seems as if the United States Championship scenario has been put on hold momentarily. While audiences expected R-Truth to revitalize the title's relevance, there needs to be a joint effort in order to achieve that.

What's even more pressing is that both main roster shows (RAW and SmackDown Live) seem to primarily focus on the RAW Women's Championship when it comes to the Women's Division.

Even on SmackDown, the RAW Women's Championship scenario is more important, while the SmackDown Live Women's Champion, Asuka, hasn't appeared on the show for two consecutive weeks.

Last night's episode didn't include bad booking decisions from an overall standpoint, but one of its major drawbacks included the absence of the show's two key champions- Asuka and R-Truth.

#2 Charlotte Flair does an excellent job by thriving on hate

Charlotte Flair is an excellent heel in Becky Lynch's story

Many wrestlers stumble during unexpected negative reactions from the fans during a live promo. But Charlotte Flair's approach to embodying the spirit of a pure heel (just like her dad, Ric Flair) is at its best currently.

Truthfully, her job was only made easier when Charlotte Flair's theme music hit right when they replayed Vince McMahon introducing her as Becky Lynch's replacement on this week's RAW.

From there onwards, Charlotte reflected the audience's frustrations by mocking their thoughts in a purposefully annoying manner, and the fact that she approached it confidently showed that Flair's character thrives on hate- a trait which also helps in preventing the situation from getting out of hand.

For what it's worth, frustrations are only building up to the most evident point in this storyline, that is, Becky Lynch's eventual return...

#1 Daniel Bryan is still most likely to retain his WWE Title at Elimination Chamber

Who do you think should walk out as WWE Champion this Sunday?

The 'odds' are clearly stacked against the NEW Daniel Bryan when it comes to retaining his WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber. But when you look at this situation from a broader perspective, it seems as if "The Planet's Champion" might hold on to his title for a longer period of time.

It is apparent that he brings something fresh to the table when it comes to being champion, and more importantly, WrestleMania 35 is inching closer, and out of all the participants in the Elimination Chamber match, Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles are the most likely candidates to win.

While AJ Styles does not need another reign at this point in time, he could win the title this Sunday. But then again, the very fact that Bryan was eliminated so early from last night's Gauntlet Match was perhaps a ploy set by the creative team to undersell his momentum heading into the PPV itself, only for Bryan to retain when all things are said and done.

This puts Daniel Bryan on the top spot as the most likely candidate to win.

Who do you think is going to walk out of Elimination Chamber as the WWE Champion this Sunday?

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