After what happened at No Mercy, fans have high expectations for SmackDown. There were a handful of talking points from the pay-per-view on Sunday Night and this is hands down the reason why the WWE Universe is so excited to see what will go down on Tuesday.
Monday Night Raw made some huge strides this week with the announcement of Goldberg’s return and adding the Hell in a Cell stipulation to Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks. SmackDown will now have to follow up with a solid show to keep up in the race. So here is a look at some of the things that needs to be addressed by the WWE this week on SmackDown.
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#5 Still Champions
Heath Slater and Rhyno had yet another successful title defense. They defeated the Usos at No Mercy even though most fans were expected the heel Usos to get hold of the gold. On the same card, American Alpha and the Hype bros secured wins meaning that either of these two teams could get a shot at the title next.
As both American Alpha and Hype Bros are baby face teams, the dynamics would be a big problem and this might force WWE to rethink. No matter which way WWE choose to go, Slater and Rhyno needs a new challenge ahead of the next WWE pay-per-view.
#4 Reunited family
A big talking point from No Mercy was the return of Luke Harper. Harper made his return at the show to help Bray Wyatt defeat Randy Orton. The reunion of Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper was indeed a breath of fresh air.
Though the fans would’ve love to see Erick Rowan in the mix as well, unfortunately, the injury of Rowan is expected to keep him out for a bit longer.
Orton has unfinished business after No Mercy and he will be looking to come out on top this week. The feud has some direction thanks to the introduction of Harper and WWE will now have to build up on this.
#3 The future of Women’s championship
Becky Lynch missed out No Mercy due to an injury. The championship match that she had with Alexa Bliss was replaced by a Naomi vs. Alexa match at the pay-per-view which Alexa lost. The status of Becky is not clear. She recently posted a photo from her hospital bed but there are no updates about when she will return.
As she is the reigning Women’s champion, WWE would have to make a fast decision about her future. The picture would be clearer once this week’s SmackDown is completed and if Becky is forced to relinquish the championship, choosing the new champion would require some work from WWE’s side.
#2 Showoff survives
Though the triple threat match between AJ Styles, John Cena and Dean Ambrose was the main event of No Mercy, it was the Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz match that captured all the attention and generated more emotion. Ziggler had his career on the line and came out winning despite interferences from Maryse and the Spirit Squad members.
Not only did he save his career, but he also managed to capture the Intercontinental championship in the process.
Ziggler, as the new reigning champion will show up on SmackDown and he could expect a big ovation. Miz would be looking to bounce back as well and a collision between these two is bound to happen on the show.
#1 New challenger for AJ Styles?
AJ Styles successfully defended his WWE championship at No Mercy despite having a tough challenge from John Cena and Dean Ambrose. While there was a shade of controversy surrounding the match, AJ is still the champion and both Cena and Ambrose will have to try again another time.
The real question that is looming now is: Whether WWE continues to give Cena and Ambrose more shots or are we going to see a new challenger for Styles. If they are indeed going forward with Cena and Ambrose, then the WWE will have to find new creative ways to tell the story
If they are going to have a new superstar in the mix, however, the process of filtering out a potential opponent is certain to give the bookers a headache. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt are viable contenders. At the same time, Dean Ambrose and John Cena could also be in the mix, that is if they don’t go on a rumoured hiatus.
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