The biggest winners and losers of last night's SmackDown (January 15)

This week's SmackDown was an unfortunate decline in quality compared to the episode we got last week, which was all systems go. This week was more akin to a hot and cold show, with some hits and some misses. We can't expect a top quality show every week, but this week's decline was bigger than it needed to be.

Who got the most and least out of last night's episode with the Royal Rumble less than two weeks left? Let's take a look.

---

Losers: Becky Lynch and Asuka

Becky Lynch was even more over than usual last night, but then she went on to struggle against Peyton Royce. WWE also insisted on giving Asuka a microphone to deliver a lengthier promo than usual, which is always a risky proposition. It didn't work. Asuka struggled a lot. She dispatched Billie Kay with ease, but it wasn't a good night for her.

The result was that the hottest program on SmackDown felt like it cooled off.

Hopefully things will pick up next week.

---

Winners: Samoa Joe and Mustafa Ali

Samoa Joe looked like a ravenous predator last night, which is when he's always at his best. Mustafa Ali, for his part, bumped like a maniac to get people more sympathetic to him in the face of Joe's vicious assault.

Sometimes, you just don't need a match to build something. This was a great way to build Ali and Joe as rivals as they both head into the Royal Rumble match on January 27th. Ali will be looking for revenge and Joe suddenly looks like one of the most dangerous men in the match. Job done.

WWE dropped the ball by insisting on a long opening promo to begin the night, but innovated immediately afterward. This was a good break from a tired formula.

Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas

Add Andrade "Cien" Almas to the long list of superstars that suddenly lost their last names for some dumb reason or another. Nevertheless, this was an excellent match. In fact, it was WWE's best match of 2019 so far, and one wonders how high it could have gotten if it weren't for the commercial breaks.

In an amazing display of talent, Almas and Mysterio went back and forth with crazy reversals and brutal spots, such as the former's powerbomb on the outside.

Eventually, Zelina Vega got involved and Almas picked up the win with a top rope Hammerlock DDT.

The right guy won and made use of his valet to do so. It was a much-needed big victory for Almas.

What we saw last night was NXT Almas, who set the world on fire with Johnny Gargano a year ago. Is this the start of a bigger trend?

Winner: Mandy Rose

Mandy Rose may have been the winner here because it signaled her continued push, but it was an excellent display of why that push has problems. Mandy Rose simply isn't ready for a more prominent spotlight. This segment was horrible. While WWE should be commended for breaking formula here, Mandy Rose just wasn't the right person to do it.

I'd have much rather seen the scheduled Sonya Deville vs. Carmella match.

---

Losers: The SmackDown tag team division

This didn't need to be the main event. It also didn't need the typical food humor that's tailored for an audience of one. There also didn't need to be a pinfall over one of the reigning tag team champions, since it's unlikely The Bar will be retaining their titles at the Royal Rumble, anyway.

This was just a mess and continues to be the worst part of SmackDown. All this for another Shane McMahon match at WrestleMania that's unnecessary.