Top SmackDown rumors: Possibility of 2-time World Champion quitting because of heat; WWE 'cheating' fans by not pushing top star?; Wyatt's plans (24th April)

Welcome to this week's edition of the biggest rumors that could have a major impact on SmackDown.

With WWE doing everything in its capacity to keep the fans entertained during these uncertain times, the company has a tall task ahead of itself in the midst of dwindling ratings and fan interest.

However, with a strong build towards Money in the Bank, WWE has managed to generate a lot of buzz around the PPV.

In today's edition, we will talk about WWE's treatment of two popular SmackDown stars, plans for Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman, and more!

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#5 Backstage heat on Dolph Ziggler

Former two-time World Champion Dolph Ziggler was recently part of WWE's The Bump and spoke about his MITB cash-in in 2011 when he won the World Heavyweight Championship. Ziggler stated that the reason the fans were behind him was that they knew that he had heat backstage.

Speaking of backstage heat, Arn Anderson revealed on his podcast that Ziggler was very opinionated, which is why Vince McMahon 'got tired' of dealing with him. Anderson also predicted that Dolph Ziggler could walk out of WWE and never look back.

“One day, he’ll go, ‘Oh, you want to give me more s*** about something else? You know what, see you,’ and he’ll thump down the steps, take off his boots, and walk out the door and you’ll never hear from him again. And he will have accomplished what he wanted to in the business. Left on his own terms.” (H/t: SportsKeeda)

Dolph Ziggler is one of the veterans on the SmackDown roster but even after continued support from the fans, he was never truly able to become a 'main-event' star. The reason behind that could possibly be the fact that McMahon did not like dealing with The ShowOff and his opinions.

With a loss against Otis at WrestleMania, it is safe to assume that Ziggler will continue to persist in the mid-card on Friday Night SmackDown.

#4 Veteran says WWE is cheating fans by not pushing Cesaro

While speaking on his podcast, Arn Anderson mentioned another Superstar who is not very well-liked by the front office. That Superstar being former US Champion Cesaro.

Anderson stated that the company had severely cut down on his impressive moves and banned them for being too flashy for a heel. It is possible WWE is still doing the same as Cesaro currently works as a heel on SmackDown.

Anderson believes that Cesaro is gravely underused and for someone who can pull off outrageous moves that nobody else can, it is unfair to hold him back.

When you can do things that no one else on the planet can do, why wouldn't you bring that to our audience? Aren't you cheating the audience by not giving it to them?

Cesaro is currently part of a stable along with Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura where he serves as the 'heavy' in the team. It certainly is surprising that WWE have never truly believed in Cesaro or pushed him as a top singles star.

(Please link the article and give H/T credit if you use the quotes)

#3 No face turn for Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt is one of the biggest stars on SmackDown and hottest acts in the WWE. Ever since returning to the company with his reinvented avatar, Wyatt has consistently been one of the most interesting acts in the company.

His Firefly Fun House match against John Cena at WrestleMania was one of the most interesting and unique matches in WrestleMania history. There are many critics and fans who believe that Wyatt should be treated as a face owing to his massive popularity.

However, SportsKeeda's Tom Colohue has revealed that the chances of a face turn for Bray Wyatt are bleak as Vince McMahon sees him as a heel and doesn't want to turn him babyface.

Here is what he stated:

The person really pushing these feuds and the idea that Bray Wyatt is a heel is Vince McMahon. He wants Bray Wyatt to be used as a heel. He wants Bray Wyatt to push faces. Unfortunately, we've now got this system where anyone feuding with Bray Wyatt ends up switching from heel to face or face to heel. (H/T: SportsKeeda)

#2 Storyline with Otis was Mandy Rose's idea

One of the biggest storylines on SmackDown is the ongoing saga between Otis, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, and Dolph Ziggler.

As per an interview given to TB Series Hub, The Golden Goddess revealed that she was the one who pitched the idea of being paired with Otis to Vince McMahon. Here is what she stated:

Otis always was around in NXT and posting pics of me and talking about how much he liked me. In a cute way, not a creepy way. This continued on and I thought it would be great if this became a storyline, especially once Otis entered Wrestlemania. I actually went to Vince McMahon myself and pitched the idea and he loved it.

While Otis managed to win the match against Dolph Ziggler at WrestleMania, the feud looks far from over as of now. It is quite possible that Mandy Rose's idea was what sparked the storyline but the creative team has done a great job of building a cohesive and entertaining story.

We are likely headed towards a mixed tag team match between Otis and Rose vs Ziggler and Deville which mat be the final payoff in this entertaining storyline.

#1 Braun Strowman's future as Universal Champion

Braun Strowman managed to win his first World Championship at WrestleMania 36 by defeating Goldberg. While the original plan was to have Roman Reigns defeat Goldberg to become the Universal Champion, WWE had to make some last-minute changes due to Reigns opting out of WrestleMania due to the COVID-19 panic.

However, even though Strowman has become the Universal Champion, there is a high chance that he may just be a transitional Champion and the company is planning to put the belt back on The Fiend Bray Wyatt.

Here is what SportsKeeda's Tom Colohue had to say:

Now without Roman Reigns, there aren't many people left that Strowman can face, especially on the heel side. You've technically got Daniel Bryan, but he's a face and he's involved in something else. So there aren't that many opportunities. This, to me, looks like they're trying to revert back to what their plan was in January - to put the title on Bray Wyatt, again, and wait for Roman Reigns to be ready. (SportsKeeda)

He also stated that even though the company has shown faith in Strowman, there is a lack of depth in the top card of SmackDown, and the handling of the Monster Among Men after his big win has been a 'mixed bag'.