Royal Rumble marks the start of the road to WrestleMania, and that event is now less than two weeks ago. That means the festive lull that WWE tends to fall into is well and truly over. Raw very much proved that on Monday night. As good a show as it was, it was a little annoying. If Raw can be that good, then why isn't it every week, or at least most weeks? The red brand could really take a leaf from SmackDown Live's book. Team Blue's product is enjoyable almost every week, and this past Tuesday was no different.

SmackDown Live started in the same way as Raw did this week. However, instead of Vince McMahon rocking up in a limo, it was Becky Lynch in an SUV. After a quick pit stop to sample Heavy Machinery's milkshake, The Man made her way to the ring. Lynch had some less than stellar things to say about her Royal Rumble opponent Asuka which prompted The Empress to join her. However, before things could get too heated between the pair of them, The Iiconics interrupted. After a fair amount of mouthing off, Lynch decided she had heard enough and challenged Peyton Royce to a match.

Despite a spirited effort from the Australian Superstar, Lynch wound up making Royce tap to the dis-arm-her. That did not sit well with Asuka who was still watching from ringside. The champ leaped into the ring and demanded Billie Kay step in there with her. Despite Kay declining the invitation, Asuka chased her and dragged her back into the ring. The Empress then proceeded to defeat Kay with the same move as Lynch used to beat Royce, only she did it a lot more quickly.

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Before the four women involved in SmackDown Live's opening segments could take their leave, AJ Styles made his way to the ring. The Phenomenal One took a hard left at the end of the ramp though and made his way up to the concession stands. His message was the opposite of the one Daniel Bryan delivered last week. However, before Styles could finish handing out merch, he was attacked by a disguised Bryan. The Face That Runs The Place got the last laugh though, slamming Bryan through a table stacked high with hot dogs. Not a happy ending for anyone, let alone a vegan.

Samoa Joe didn't exactly have the greatest 2018 in WWE. Most, including himself, probably expected him to have won a title on the main roster by now. That is yet to happen despite a number of opportunities. That's why watching someone brand new to SmackDown Live like Mustafa Ali ascend straight to the same platform as him must be infuriating. Joe is already an angry man and Ali's success has just made that worse. The Destroyer took that frustration out on Ali this week. The two were supposed to have a match, but Joe's vicious attack meant the bell didn't even get the chance to ring.

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On last week's SmackDown Live we got a sneak peek of what exactly Andrade Almas and Rey Mysterio can do in the ring together. This past Tuesday, we got the whole article. The two luchadors put on the WWE match of the year so far. Not only were some of the moves performed almost unbelievable, but the story told was a great one too. After hitting a 619 and seemingly having the match sewn up, Zelina Vega distracted Mysterio and the ref just long enough for Almas to recover. The former NXT Champion then performed a Hammerlock DDT on his opponent who was still perched on the turnbuckle. A tainted win for Almas, but a win nonetheless.

The Attitude Era-esque angle involving Mandy Rose trying to tempt Jimmy Uso away from his wife Naomi continued this week. Rose gifted Uso her hotel room key and after much deliberation, the former Tag Team Champion made his way up there. Once Rose was down to her underwear, a photographer emerged from the bathroom, snapped some pics, and left. What Rose didn't anticipate was Naomi coming with her husband. Once Uso left, the leader of the Glow Movement came running in and the two brawled all over the hotel room.

SmackDown Live's final segment revolved around The Miz throwing Shane McMahon a birthday celebration. The A-Lister has finally convinced McMahon to be his tag partner, and evidently, they are both on the same page. That will need to be the case at Royal Rumble when the new pair takes on The Bar for the SmackDown Tag Titles. It was The Bar who interrupted Tuesday's celebration, which resulted in a match between Miz and Sheamus. In a chaotic ending which involved Cesaro falling through a table laden with cake, Miz rolled up Sheamus for the win. Then after the match, Shane O Mac performed a coast to coast on the fallen Celtic Warrior while Miz held a cake over the Irishman.

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