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Best and Worst of SmackDown Live - 23 January, 2018

Just another regular episode of SmackDown Live
Just another regular episode of SmackDown Live, like every week

Here's a fun activity for you. Log in to the WWE Network and watch the 1992 Royal Rumble. Look at all the mini feuds that were going on back then, even within the Rumble match. Somehow, WWE seems to have forgotten its own classic formula.

The build to the 2018 Royal Rumble has not been very exciting at all. This holds true for both brands. While RAW still has something going on in the Lesnar vs. Kane vs. Strowman department, SmackDown Live was far more underwhelming in comparison.

As always, we will jot down the best and worst of this week's SmackDown Live episode. We invite you to chime in with your comments, in the section below.

So, what particular aspects of SmackDown Live did we enjoy this week?


#1 Best: Nakamura vs Baron Corbin

A really, really good match
A really, really good match

Even without talking about the finish per se (for now), let us just say that Baron Corbin is a much better performer than he used to once be. He looks like he belongs in the ring now, and with a competent dance partner like Shinsuke Nakamura, Corbin can easily put on a good match.

This wasn't always the case. Remember how sloppy Corbin once used to be in the ring? Remember how the IWC was not willing to give him a chance because he did not come from independent wrestling?

For his part, Nakamura was just as good as he always is. Both men had something to prove, and brought their A-Game to SmackDown Live this week.

Corbin always had the look and build, and now that his in-ring work is up to par, the sky is the limit.

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