Match Ratings For Smackdown Live 1/2/18 From Sean Ross Sapp

Smackdown Opening

• This is your usual Smackdown opening where it takes 15 minutes to say one thing.
• AJ Styles says he'll hold the WWE title through Mania. 
• Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon are out to the ring, and Shane apologizes to AJ Styles, but says Bryan has a kinship with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. 
• AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn, with DB and Shane at ringside. That was the point.

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Smackdown Live Tag Team Championship
Usos defeated Training Day
5.75/10

• Usos vs. Briscoes is a legit dream match for me right now.
• The Usos have gotten into such good shape. 
• This match starts off hot with a big suplex and moonsault from Training Day. It slows down during the break and picks right back up.
• The Uso slide into a hot tag is great. They have a nice dive, too.
• Training Day hit their finish for the win! That was way, way, way, WAY too short. There's a beef. The wrong man was counted. 
• We've restarted after a commercial and Training Day get beaten with superkicks and an Uso Splash.
• This was good, but the two commercial breaks and the restart really put a damper on everything. Ultimately it took the audience on a ride, so it's all good. 

Bludg'd Up

• Ascension run out and get beaten up. Aight den.

United States Championship Tournament Opening Round
Xavier Woods (w/ New Day) defeated Aiden English (w/ Rusev)
5.75/10

• New Day give Xavier Woods a pancake-cake. He's confronted by Rusev Day. 
• Rusev sings a song about Aiden English. What a good friend.
• Sometimes it's easy to forget how good of a worker Xavier Woods is. He hit a rack backbreaker, it ruled. 
• Aiden English has modified the Widowmaker to a seated version. It's gotta finish people sometime.
• It's really good WWE didn't get rid of English with Gotch.
• Woods wins with a flying Elbow drop. Jinder Mahal was watching from backstage.
• Xavier ate pant-cakes.

Riott Squad defeated Welcoming Committee (w/ Lana)
4.5/10

• The Welcoming Committee is back. Jesus. I cared so little about Welcoming Committee that if you had asked me the stable name of these three, I'd have looked at you confused.
• Tom Phillips interrupts his color commentators to say "OOH!"
• I'm not sure what Sarah Logan's finish is, but it looks like shit. The paint around the eyes for Logan is a good touch. 
• Ruby Riott reveals that Logan and Liv Morgan are in the Rumble match in a rather good promo.
• Charlotte interrupts and brings out Naomi and then Becky Lynch. They attack Riott Squad.

Sami Zayn (w/ Kevin Owens) vs. AJ Styles (w/ Shane McMahon)
6/10

• What does this match mean? Are we going to get Styles vs. Owens vs. Zayn at the Rumble? Eventually these good matches do need to mean something. I suspect it will after tonight.
• Blue Thunder Bomb, Deep Six, or Aiden's Widowmaker? Which will finish an opponent next?
• I like Zayn's new gear. He also fights off a Calf Crusher forever.
• Howling at the ref taking a bump while avoiding taking a bump. He's late to catch Styles' pin.
• Shane McMahon pushes Kevin Owens down, and KO gets ejected. Then Daniel Bryan ejects Shane McMahon!
• Styles is distracted and Zayn gets the Helluva Kick for the win!
• Styles yells at Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan for acting like children. 
• Styles vs. Zayn & Kevin Owens for the WWE Title in a handicap match at the Rumble!