 Charlotte Flair and Shotzi Saved Bianca Belair From Damage CTRLIf Belair said that her war with Damage CTRL is far from over despite winning WarGames at Survivor Series, which leaves me wondering what the point of WarGames was. If it isn't meant to finish a feud, then don't bother. I understand Belair would want another shot at the WWE Women's Championship, but WWE desperately needs to move her out of the title picture and away from Damage CTRL as soon as possible. Bobby Lashley def. ButchThis match was set up on last week's SmackDown LowDown. Ridge Holland walked out on Butch last Friday night and we have yet to hear his side of things, but Butch is going at it alone in the meantime. I'm all for Butch getting a renewed singles push (ideally as Pete Dunne), but Lashley winning here made more sense. It was a good television match for what it was. Him and The Street Profits have nothing going on now that the Profits have failed to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from The Judgment Day, so they need direction soon. Santos Escobar def. Joaquin WildeI'm not at all against the idea of Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo joining Escobar to form a new Legado del Fantasma as has been rumored, but I do worry for Wilde and Cruz del Toro, who are bound to get lost in the shuffle without Escobar. This was a nice little sprint, but it was all about further establishing Escobar and thus it wasn't necessary for it to go any longer than it did. Dragon Lee ran out to make the save afterward ahead of their Survivor Series rematch next week. Kevin Owens Confronted United States Champion Logan Paul; Owens def. Grayson WallerThis marked Paul's first appearance on SmackDown since capturing the United States Championship at Crown Jewel a month ago. It's about time he resurfaced, and it makes sense for him to start building toward his next challenger at the Royal Rumble (if not sooner than that). This newly-announced number one contender's tournament sets up several matches worth looking forward to in the weeks ahead. I enjoyed Owens vs. Waller, but I wasn't a fan of the execution of the finish (though it was likely designed to protect Waller in defeat). Bianca Belair def. Kairi SaneSane has definitely felt like a background player in Damage CTRL since returning to the company. I understand she won't be the focal point (right now), but I don't know that I would've had her lose clean here. They had a well-wrestled match, and it was cool to see them mix it up for the first time in almost five years, but I'm not sure what this was supposed to accomplish outside of teasing more tension between Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL. I'm intrigued by that storyline, but the babyfaces have hit a dead end. LA Knight Saved Randy Orton From The Bloodline Before Orton Signed with SmackDownI loved the idea of the Raw and SmackDown general managers scouting Orton and wanting to sign him to an exclusive deal. Imagine how much more this would have meant if WWE didn't disregard their own rules with the Brand Split so often. In all seriousness, this was a strong segment with everyone playing their roles well. I was shocked Knight didn't appear all episode long, but then he emerged to a huge pop to save Orton and further his feud with The Bloodline. Orton's RKO on Aldis at the end was a nice touch. We know Orton has his sights set on Roman Reigns, but will Knight also be incorporated into the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at the Royal Rumble along with AJ Styles possibly? Overall ShowFor a show with very little advertised in advance, this ended up being a thumbs-up episode. I'm skeptical about the overall landscape of the women's division outside of the Damage CTRL story, but the United States Championship scene is finally picking up, Escobar is rolling as a heel, and the blue brand gets a big boost in Orton. Plus, CM Punk is set to make an appearance on next week's Tribute to the Troops-themed show, which I'm excited for because I'll be in attendance for it. Fun stuff from SmackDown this week.
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