 Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos def. The Brawling Brutes (Sheamus and Butch)The Usos haven't missed in recent months and this was no exception. I was disappointed Drew McIntyre wasn't cleared to compete, but Butch was a perfectly acceptable replacement as this was a strong match with all four guys working well together. The Usos retaining was essentially a forgone conclusion, but they still managed to deliver a few suspenseful nearfalls. I'm holding out hope that Sheamus challenges Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble or it's a Triple Threat also involving Kevin Owens. LA Knight Called Out Bray WyattKnight accused Wyatt of all of the mysterious beatdowns he's endured backstage in recent weeks and was interrupted at one point by Uncle Howdy, who didn't really say anything of note. I appreciate Knight cutting straight to the chase, but he never ended up finding Wyatt backstage (though he was seemingly attacked in a dark dressing room going into a commercial break and it wasn't addressed afterward), so it felt like another week wasted. I was digging this program at the start, but it really feels like it's dragging at this point without any real development. The Viking Raiders vs. Legado del Fantasma (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) Ended in No ContestRaiders laid out Toro and Wilde in their return last month, so that's where this match stemmed from. Neither act is exactly over at the moment, so that combined with the heel vs. heel dynamic made for a flat match for as long as it lasted. Hit Row showing more of an edge for a change by attacking both teams was a nice change of pace for them, but the crowd didn't come alive for that, either. All three teams will meet in a Triple Threat tag team match next week on SmackDown. Intercontinental Champion Gunther and Ricochet Signed the Contract For Next Week's Intercontinental Championship Match; Ricochet and The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) def. Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci)The contract signing didn't stray away from the usual formula, but Ricochet and Gunther both played their roles well (stupid "performing" joke aside) and I appreciate the effort to make their Intercontinental Championship clash next week mean as much as possible. New Day mentioning that they'll be challenging Pretty Deadly for the NXT Tag Team Championship at NXT Deadline this Saturday was a nice touch. The subsequent six-man tag team match was well wrestled and received plenty of time. Ricochet picking up the winning fall was the right call to give him momentum ahead of his title shot and make him look like more of a threat. Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox def. SmackDown Women's Champion Ronda Rousey and Shayna BaszlerBaszler vs. Shotzi was originally scheduled for this show, but an angle was shot showing Shotzi being attacked in the parking lot before the show by Baszler and Rousey. Regardless of whether the injury to Shotzi is legitimate or not, I was happy with the match being changed because this was mildly more interesting. Nothing about it stood out as special, mind you, but it did give Morgan and Nox a much-needed win ahead of their opportunity at the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship next week. Speaking of Nox, I liked that they gave her a brief profile package explaining to the audience who she is and her background from NXT. Kurt Angle and Gable Steveson Used a Milk Truck to Soak Alpha AcademyYou had to know Steveson was going to factor into the show-closing birthday celebration somehow. Was it dumb? Sure, but I found it fun and harmless. This didn't really accomplish anything in the long run other than to establish something of an alliance between Angle and Steveson. Also, between what we saw here and at WrestleMania 38, it's safe to assume Chad Gable will be Steveson's first opponent when he eventually makes his in-ring debut on the main roster. Overall ShowThis felt like a filler show ahead of next week's stacked show in Chicago featuring the return of Roman Reigns, a possible Sami Zayn makeover, Damage CTRL vs. Morgan and Nox for the women's tag titles, and Gunther vs. Ricochet for the Intercontinental Championship. We also found out officially today that John Cena will be back on the blue brand on the December 30th episode for some reason (and I'm not complaining). All in all, this was a solid show that peaked early with the tag title match, but the rest was largely enjoyable and serviceable.
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