WWE SmackDown 5 Takeaways: Sami Zayn Enters Championship Picture

The Jan. 2 edition of WWE SmackDown was an improvement from the Jan. 1 edition of Raw as the blue brand continued its developing key storylines and angles.

The first WWE SmackDown of 2018 was a pretty stellar show on several fronts.  It saw solid storyline building, some nice in-ring work, and the awaited return of one of the brand’s top female superstars.

SmackDown’s buildup towards the Royal Rumble is becoming clearer as several key angles are taking shape heading into the WWE’s January classic.  With that being said, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from the first WWE SmackDown of 2018.

5. The Bludgeon Brothers Need to Start Facing Different Competition

Harper and Rowan have taken their Wyatt Family roots and created a destructive tag team on SmackDown that lays waste to everybody.  However, the term everybody has been very precise as of late.

The Bludgeon Brothers have been impressive since day one and have immediately fit in on Tuesday nights.  They have a dominating presence that the rest of the tag team division on SmackDown doesn’t have.  But the WWE needs to start giving Harper and Rowan new competition.

The past two SmackDown’s have seen The Bludgeon Brothers squash Breezango with The Ascension getting in the mix as well.  Maybe The Ascension can be valid competition for The Bludgeon Brothers, but the light-hearted, humorous Breezango just doesn’t stand a chance against these huge monsters.

With how dominant Harper and Rowan have looked against competition that isn’t up to their level, it’s probably a good time for the WWE to start pushing them into the main tag team scene on SmackDown.  Having The Bludgeon Brothers in the mix with The New Day, The Usos, Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable, etc will give the team different and more legitimate challenges that will help them get to another level.

The future is bright for The Bludgeon Brothers, but that future needs to involve different competition moving forward that doesn’t include solely squash matches against teams that don’t match up.