WWE SmackDown Live Preview: January 16, 2018

To say that this week's WWE Raw was a good show would be an understatement. Raw wasn't even Raw this wee; it was the Braun Strowman show.

The Monster Among Men was on a one-man mission to ensure an unhealthy disbalance in WWE's account books as he went about wrecking havoc wherever the opportunity arose. In hindsight, it made an otherwise lacklustre show an entertaining watch.

Follow Sportskeeda's coverage of the January 16, 2018, episode of SmackDown Live right here.

SmackDown doesn't have a Strowman-like behemoth in their ranks but they do have a Phenomenal Champion who is embroiled in a very complex feud at the moment. That's not all, the on-going US title tournament has shaped up to be quite an erratic competition as the participants of the final round will be decided today.

SmackDown has all the tools in their arsenal to upstage the men in red this week but it all depends on how WWE tackle these five major talking points heading into tonight's show.

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#1 US Championship tournament semi-finals

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Xavier Woods is right up there with the underrated lot in the WWE and he imposed that very fact in remarkable fashion when he beat Aiden English last week. The level of competition increases manifold this time around as the UpUpDownDown host goes up against Jinder Mahal in one of the two semifinal bouts.

The Modern Day Maharaja is slowly getting used to life without the WWE Championship around his waist but he just can't seem to get over being without a title he held for a whopping 170 days. His attention is now on the Championship that has long been the go-to championship for foreign anti-USA heels.

Woods or Mahal would battle it out for the chance to go up against either Bobby Roode or Mojo Rawley, who would also work their semifinals match tonight. If current odds, rumours, and the predicted booking patterns are taken into account then Mahal and Roode should be the ones advancing to the finals, which has now been removed from the Royal Rumble due to an unspecified reason.

While Woods and Rawley have impressed in their respective roles, the heel-face dynamic that Roode vs Mahal brings to the table has been Vince McMahon's bread and butter for as long as we can remember. For all the haters of the Modern Day Maharaja, the Glorious One is expected to win his first main roster title at the end of the tourney.

But we all know WWE and how adept they are at throwing a curveball at the fans. Thus, expect a twist or two en route in determining the new holder of the star-spangled championship.

#2 The Queen and her friends look to end a Riott!

WWE has been really lazy with its booking of the SmackDown women's division and it's an undeniable fact that it's hurting the product down on the blue side. With all options seemingly extinguished coupled with a paper thin roster, the Creative has booked a six-woman tag team match.

Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Naomi would go up against the Riott Squad tonight. Calculable booking at it's best from the WWE. After suffering a loss at the hands of a returning Becky Lynch last week, Ruby Riot and her gang of NXT rebels desperately need a win to salvage whatever relevancy that's left of the trio.

The heels should get the better of the babyfaces. They ought to get one with a historic Royal Rumble on the horizon.

#3 Breezango + Rusev Day = Comedic gold

Rusev and Aiden English are probably the most over act after Braun Strowman and AJ Styles in the WWE. The organic rise of the duo is one the perks of modern-day pro wrestling in the social media age and WWE needs to strike while the iron is steaming hot.

Last week, Tyler Breeze and Fandango pulled off an upset victory against the Bulgarian Brute and the real Artist on SmackDown Live, Aiden English. The signs point to a mini-feud between the two outrageously humorous teams on the road to the Rumble. We aren't complaining.

The only concern here is whether WWE gives Rusev Day a worthy pay-off. It sure as hell deserves one and it could all culminate at the show of shows. WWE has struck a goldmine and they better get their hands dirty before it's too late.

#4 A full-blown heel turn?

Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable could be best termed as tweeners right now. From working matches as heels to cutting promos with the sole purpose of drawing heat, the Gold Standard and his understudy are now the bad guys without having a legit turn of sorts.

the Usos' feud outstanding feud with the New Day and the mutual respect displayed by both teams at the end professedly turned the twins into fan favourites again. With a potential show-stealer of a 2-out-3 falls tag team titles match all set for the Rumble, the storyline needs to go up a notch and fast.

Benjamin hasn't been able to have the same impact upon his return as imagined but a ruthless turn could change all of that. Having a veteran fan favourite as a heel may sound ludicrous on paper, but it is the need of the hour in the midst of a Daniel Bryan-esque movement slowly gathering steam in the form of Rusev day.

#5 Will Daniel Bryan finally snap?

Shane McMahon despises Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Daniel Bryan, on the other hand, has developed a soft corner for the unruly Canadians.

Despite sneaking out of tricky situations on countless occasions during last week's 3-on-2 handicap match between the best friends and the dream team of Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles, Shane McMahon's relentless meddlesomeness cost the duo the match.

While the members of the Yep! movement are obliged to be enraged, the leader of the Yes! the movement could also join Owens and Zayn in their fight against the tyranny of a McMahon. The implosion in the relationship between Bryan and McMahon is imminent but how WWE pulls the trigger will make or break this intricately woven feud.

There is bound to be a swerve of epic proportions in the handicap WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble and WWE has an array of options at their disposal. Heel turns for either Shane O'Mac or Bryan, a KO-Zayn split and the build-up towards a Styles-Bryan dream match are just some of the angles that seem most pertinent.

Which path will WWE tread? What happens to Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura in this equation? Will the greed of guaranteed title shot at WrestleMania 34 disrupt the unlikely alliance?

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