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The post-Thanksgiving SmackDown served up far more intensity than you would expect during an otherwise lazy time of the year when it comes to WWE programming. In the past, one got the impression that WWE was content to essentially take the holiday season off. That was far from the case last night.
Roman Reigns shined like always in this new Tribal Chief role, but many pieces were moving on the board to make for a great episode. Who stood out the most and struck viewers as gearing up for bigger roles at TLC, the Royal Rumble, and beyond on SmackDown? Let's take a look.
SmackDown Winner: Jey Uso
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"Do you think that I'm Thanksgiving leftovers?"
That's what Roman Reigns said to Jey Uso as SmackDown got started. Jey Uso's facial expressions, full of fear and confusion, were as good as Roman's promo. Throughout the night, we saw him continue to evolve into the heel role that he's hinting he doesn't want to be a part of.
At this point, it's starting to feel like this story demands something bigger of Jey Uso. And with that, we may already have a Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber favorite.
That would've been unthinkable a few months ago, but "main event Jey Uso" feels natural now, all thanks to Roman Reigns' new character. We'll just have to see how this story plays out in December and January.
SmackDown Loser: Otis
Otis' time in the spotlight is definitively over. After an unimpressive showing at Survivor Series, he was used as little more than a prop to telegraph Jey Uso's character evolution last night. He was subject to a brutal beating that cancelled his advertised match with King Corbin at the start of the show.
The game is just getting started, but don't expect Otis to be in a notable WrestleMania program this time around.
SmackDown Winners: Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler
This was the annoying trope of champions losing on SmackDown TV to set up a PPV match. However, after their victory at Survivor Series over the New Day, the Street Profits could afford it. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler gained a lot more than their opponents lost, as they go on to TLC for a tag team title challenge.
Their chances of victory are slim, but it's far better than the idleness that both men have seen repeatedly over their careers. We can hope that the pay-per-view match will be a good one.
SmackDown Winner: Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair defeated Natalya on SmackDown. However, as expected, it was a setup for her upcoming feud with Bayley, which should only help her going forward.
There is a real chance that Belair will win that feud and become the challenger to Sasha Banks at the Royal Rumble, which would be a huge spot for her.
We'll see how the coming weeks on SmackDown treat Bianca Belair and what the landscape looks like going into TLC. She's heading in the right direction.
SmackDown Losers: King Corbin and Murphy
Consider one tired of the Mysterio family. From the beginning, the storyline hasn't helped anyone, and it certainly didn't help anyone last night on SmackDown.
Hearing Michael Cole trying to justify the Mysterio family's interference in the match, which you would expect from heels but not babyfaces, was particularly comical.
The end result was a confusing morass of a segment, where Murphy felt weak and incoherent and Corbin looked like an idiot. One can only hope that the family storyline is finally written off of SmackDown.
SmackDown Winner: Kevin Owens
The blue brand stumbled with the Mysterio family segment, but it more than picked up steam in its main event. Jey Uso took on Kevin Owens in a match that was less about competition and more about Uso trying to telegraph that he, and by extension his cousin, was a man to be feared.
Unfortunately for Uso, Kevin Owens got the better of him in the brawl and closed the show by taunting Roman Reigns and claiming that he wasn't scared of him. The shot of Roman Reigns in his locker room looking at the staring Owens on TV, with Paul Heyman fearful in the background, was fantastic.
Owens vs. Reigns definitely looks like the main event of TLC, and fans are here for it.
