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This week's episode of SmackDown was a packed one, as it should be when you kickstart a brand new year of WWE action. WWE did many things right and one can only hope that all of the pieces that were introduced this week have a big role to play in the time that follows.
While a lot of stuff was said up-front, there were many subtle hints that were strewn through the episode as well, readers. And I shall elaborate on a few of these points in this article, folks.
Be sure to leave a comment and let me know exactly what you thought of this week's episode. And if you picked up on any subtle hints through the course of the show, this is your place to let me know about them.
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So, without wasting any of your valuable time, let me dive straight into the following article.
#5 Has Sasha Banks been relegated to enhancement talent status?
When you look at the pool of talent that is competing in the match, you would assume that someone like Dana Brooke would be pinned. Sasha Banks came back with a world of momentum when she did and one would assume that her position would be much higher in the roster. And yet, it was 'The Boss' who took the pin in the match making us wonder if she's slipped a peg or two in the current roster.
A lot of people have said in the past that Sasha Banks should have become the RAW Women's Champion when she came back to take on Becky Lynch during Hell in a Cell. Unfortunately, it is clear that WWE doesn't see her in the same light that we, the fans, do, and that is quite tragic indeed.
#4 Morrison and Miz to form a tag team?
John Morrison and The Miz have a lot of history and all you need to do is look them up on the WWE Network to catch up with their amazing story. The most interesting thing about The Miz and John Morrison, in my opinion, is that they are also the best of friends in real life, to this day.
So, John Morrison showed up immediately after The Miz turned heel on this week's episode of RAW after losing to Kofi Kingston. I wonder if this means that Morrison and Miz will go after Big E and Kofi Kingston next for the tag team titles.
The New Day needs new opponents and I can't imagine a better duo than The Miz and Morrison, quite honestly. Morrison showed us how good he can be as a heel in Impact Wrestling, during his last stint as Champion.
#3 Tag team Superstars will get singles opportunities too
One of the most interesting things from this week's show was how tag-team Superstars received opportunities in singles matches. Otis had a singles match and so did Dash Wilder from The Revival.
I wonder if this will be a trend going forward because it showed us a different side of each performer. Especially in the case of Dash Wilder who is a fantastic in-ring performer who got to tussle with another great Superstar in Shorty G, both of whom must have really enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their wares.
Of course, all of this was forgotten once Sheamus entered the fray, but it's certainly a very promising trend. Maybe in the weeks to follow, we'll get to see popular WWE Superstars like Big E in singles matches as well.
Even though Kofi Kingston is a former WWE Champion, it was nice to see him in a singles environment again.
#2 Everyone who battles The Fiend goes back to their former gimmick
Kudos to Gary Cassidy from Sportskeeda for coming up with this theory. Everyone who takes on The Fiend reverts to his original persona again. Daniel Bryan went from a man who was confused about whether or not to embrace the 'Yes' movement to one of the most popular babyfaces in the entire WWE roster. Finn Balor became 'The Prince' and went back to NXT, where he is doing a fantastic job.
As for Seth Rollins, he lost to The Fiend and then aligned with The AoP to become RAW's top heel.
It was time for a change for The Miz who did not seem to be at his best as a babyface, in my personal opinion and when he lost to Bray Wyatt, something in him seemed to break and he embraced the heel in him once more, for what should be a very promising run.
#1 Sheamus and Morrison will stay in the mid-card
Even though everyone is raving about the returns of John Morrison and Sheamus, as they should be doing, it is very clear that they will not be positioned at the top of the card as was originally believed by the WWE Universe. They are going to be brought back only to bolster the mid-card and maybe the tag team division, especially in the case of The Miz and John Morrison.
This is very different from The Usos, who came back to reunite with Roman Reigns to reform the bloodline in the main-event segment, positioning them right away in the most important storyline on WWE SmackDown.
Unfortunately, WWE's full-time roster doesn't get the same kind of treatment as Superstars from the mainstream world like Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury do, who made their debuts in two of the most important programs in the card.
