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If you watched the first official WWE program of 2021, SmackDown, then we got a pretty important return during the episode. Sonya Deville didn't target or attack anyone, she made her triumphant return in a brief backstage segment. Instead, she was seen walking by several SmackDown stars. Deville had a smile on her face and with a segment lasting less than two minutes, one of the brighter young stars in WWE has returned.
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Picking which brands for each star isn't necessarily rocket science. Some stars simply have better chances of advancing in a division on different shows. That is precisely the case for Deville on the Blue brand. Had she been put on RAW, she would have likely had to go back to the storyline with Mandy Rose. She'd also struggle to move up with Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Shayna Baszler, and Nia Jax as the top dogs on Monday nights. On SmackDown, however, Sasha Banks and Bayley are the two big names, but neither is unbeatable.
There are some pretty big names slated to return to the WWE in 2021. Several names were left out of the 2020 WWE Draft pools due to injury or hiatus. So where will they end up once they return?
Here are predictions for five particular missing WWE stars and which brand they'll likely join upon their returns.
#5 Andrade could appear on WWE RAW
Andrade has been on both brands in his two years or so on the WWE main roster. He won the United States Championship on RAW but had great matches on both brands when given the chance.
Andrade's 2020 was a bit disappointing. While he was put into a tag team alongside Angel Garza, the team had mediocre success. They challenged for the RAW Tag Team Championship a few times but were unsuccessful in each attempt. And then, as WWE did numerous times in 2020, the duo was broken up and Garza and Andrade went their separate ways.
Andrade was left out of the 2020 WWE Draft pool, but his real-life fiance, Charlotte Flair, was drafted to RAW. Since WWE has tried to keep most couples under its umbrella on the same brand, El Idolo could end up on RAW.
Andrade's ceiling is still very high and they haven't explored a face version of the character on the main roster. The heel version of Andrade is what got him over in the first place, but that was with Zelina Vega by his side. Whatever the case may be, he should be pushed up the card before he loses interest.
#4 Mickie James could appear on WWE SmackDown
Mickie James returned to WWE in August of 2020 after 14 months off with an ACL injury. She battled both Asuka and Zelina Vega before suffering a minor nose ailment that has kept her out of action since the early fall.
With Royal Rumble season in full swing, she'll likely return to WWE once again as a participant in the 2021 Royal Rumble. WWE has a lot of talented women but it's hard to predict how many could call the spots in the Rumble match like Chris Jericho did in his day. James and Natalya are the two longest-tenured veterans on the roster and are probably counted on to help move things along in multiple-Superstar matches.
Mickie James has been on both brands as well, being a sidekick to Alexa Bliss when Bliss was RAW Women's Champion as well as when Bliss was SmackDown Women's Champion. When James came back to RAW, she did her own thing and that's probably what she should do when she ultimately resumes WWE action. James also tweeted that she'd be at Legends' Night when replying to her spot in the SmackDown booking rankings from Ryan Satin.
RAW's women's division is pretty stacked and it would be nice to see James get at least one more prominent title feud before she retires. Because of that, she'd have a more realistic shot by challenging the SmackDown titleholder. Her bio on WWE.com lists her as a SmackDown Superstar even though the graphic suggests she's on RAW. Regardless, James should be a member of the Blue brand upon her return.
#3 Jimmy Uso could appear on WWE SmackDown
As mentioned on the first slide, WWE tries to keep current couples together on the same brand. Bianca Belair and Montez Ford are both on SmackDown, and before she revealed she was pregnant, Becky Lynch was on RAW with Seth Rollins.
For one other reason, however, that trend of pairing married/dating couples might end with Jimmy Uso's return to WWE. The entire storyline painted around Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been about family, the Head of the Table, and acknowledging those facts. Jey Uso went through the trials first and was even saved at one point by Jimmy. Jimmy "acknowledged" Reigns so that Roman would stop attacking Jey.
While it has been nice to see Jey branch out into singles action in WWE, the tag team division needs him much more. The Tribal Chief storyline will continue as long as Reigns is Universal Champ and it will likely involve other family members. Since Jimmy already had a brief moment in the storyline, he'll be thrust back into it once he returns from injury.
Jey even hinted that his brother would be back within the next month or so. There's also a strong possibility that the heel Usos dethrone the Street Profits for the SmackDown Tag Team titles.
#2 Edge could appear on WWE RAW
Edge's return in last year's Royal Rumble was one of the best moments in WWE history. He didn't get to end things on his terms, and his return to the ring sparked a new fire under Randy Orton. The two had feuded during most of Edge's time back in a WWE ring, but Edge suffered a torn triceps at Backlash in June of 2020.
That was seven months ago, and when the Rumble comes around again, it will mark eight months. Will he make another surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble for the second year in a row? It remains to be seen, but anything is possible.
While he was back as an active Superstar, it was as a member of RAW. His feud with Orton was one of the main angles throughout the first half of 2020. It culminated in the "Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" but many thought that they would have a third match to have a definitive winner. Edge got hurt, however, and the WWE Universe has been waiting for his inevitable return to WWE once more.
Since he worked RAW and Orton is still on Monday nights, it stands to reason that Edge will return to RAW once he receives a clean bill of health. Depending on his feelings, the Rated-R Superstar might stick around for a bit after WrestleMania. He and AJ Styles want to face each other, and Edge mentioned Mustafa Ali and Ricochet as other stars he'd like to face. All three of those stars are on Monday nights.
#1 Becky Lynch could appear on WWE SmackDown
Becky Lynch was the hottest star in all of WWE and pro wrestling during her run as the Man. She had to relinquish the RAW Women's title in May of 2020 after revealing that she was pregnant. Lynch gave birth in early December, and Seth Rollins was written off of TV in order to support his fiance.
Rollins was chosen by SmackDown during the 2020 WWE Draft, while Lynch was left out of the draft pools due to pregnancy. While she had been ruling over RAW as one of the top stars in all of WWE, things have changed since last May.
The duo was together on RAW for the past two years, but as we all know, Rollins was drafted to the Blue brand for the first time in his WWE career. In order to keep the couples together, Lynch will probably rejoin SmackDown whenever she returns to WWE.
She's faced most of the women in WWE already, but with Sonya Deville and Bianca Belair on the Blue brand, fresher feuds exist on Friday nights. Although they produce good in-ring action together, another feud with Charlotte Flair is not something the WWE Universe needs. Lynch has also feuded a lot with Asuka, Lacey Evans, and Shayna Baszler, so signs point to a move back to Friday nights for the Man.
