WWE SmackDown 5 Takeaways: US Championship Becomes Glorious

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The Jan. 16 edition of WWE SmackDown was one of the strangest episodes the brand has seen in a long time with the focus almost solely on one angle.

Last night’s WWE SmackDown was almost solely in-ring based, which was a nice change of pace.  But the matches, as a whole, weren’t particularly outstanding and made the show drag on at times.

Well over half of the show was dedicated to the United States Championship picture and the picture became clearer as the night went along.  With that being said, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from the Jan. 16 edition of WWE SmackDown.

5. Lack of SmackDown’s Top Angle a Nice Change Of Pace

For the past several months, one storyline has consistently dominated SmackDown’s TV time week in and week out.  The saga between Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Shane McMahon, and Daniel Bryan seemingly has opened up and closed out every SmackDown for weeks.

And while the feud does have intrigue and promise moving forward, it sometimes gets to be too much seeing the same thing happen every single week.  Tuesday nights almost always open up with Shane O’Mac or Bryan in some form or fashion, but last night was a nice change of pace in that regard.

Instead of opening up with the blue brand’s authority figures or the two superstars they’re in a feud with, last night’s show began with a match instead of a 10-15 minute promo.

And the match didn’t feature anybody involved in the previously mentioned feud.  As the night went on, the feud didn’t get much attention either.

It’s always good to see Owens, Zayn, and the WWE Champion AJ Styles, but it was nice to not have to see the same ole same ole with them and the authority figures.  Last night’s show instead focused on other angles with one particularly getting the most attention.  The big feud isn’t going anywhere, but the WWE universe needed a break from seeing it dominate TV time.

The blue brand’s top angle isn’t going away anytime soon, but getting a break from it last night was a breath of fresh air.