5 things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown: "The Fiend" gets destroyed, returning star earns title shot after 9 years? (January 17th 2020)

SmackDown put on yet another solid show. It was the penultimate episode to WWE Royal Rumble and we only have one more week of programming before the road to WrestleMania begins. That's right. One more episode of RAW (which is promisingly stacked) and SmackDown.

No major matches have been announced for last week but the show as a whole had a good level of consistency that it lacked recently and it was good from start until the finish.

Here are a few things that WWE subtly told us!

#5 The continued fine storytelling in the Universal title feud

We predicted that Kane would be under the control of "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Admittedly, we were wrong and are more than happy to be. Kane fully expected the confrontation from Wyatt at first - who pointed out The Big Red Monster's photo on his wall of the Firefly Fun House.

After that, the lights went out and Kane was outside of the ring rather than standing cluelessly inside it. Without even looking back, he asked The Fiend what took him so long and it was here where Wyatt turned around, only to eat a running knee from Daniel Bryan.

Bryan attacked him and shoved him back in the hole of the ring where he came from, taking a couple of thick strands of his hair with him. After the segment, Bryan demanded a "strap match" at the Royal Rumble.

A "strap match" is one where a strap will be tied to the wrists of both men. While some were surprised, we love this stipulation as it plays right into the intricate storytelling of this rivalry. This has been the best Universal title feud in years and it's not even close.

We won't be surprised to see Kane ringside for the Universal title match at the Royal Rumble 2020.