The brand split rolled out last week and the buzz of the first week now needs to be followed up with consistency. When comparing the first-week shows, it was Monday Night Raw that had the better fan support. SmackDown wasn’t a bad show but when compared to Raw, it was far behind. This is a problem that will likely get covered this week on SmackDown.
There were some controversial and interesting booking decisions last week on the show and all of them will be followed up this week. Also, we can expect some returns and debuts as well and here is a rundown on what all WWE could do for SmackDown.
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#1 Surprise returns/debuts?
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WWE has been pulling off a long list of debuts and returns ever since the WWE draft. The NXT superstars that called up are making their impact already and apart from this, WWE is also bringing back former superstars as well. Rhyno made his return to the WWE programming last week and WWE needs to give him something to sink his teeth into. On top of this, Shelton Benjamin recently signed for the blue brand and we can expect him to debut shortly.
With Jinder Mahal returning to Raw, something similar could be expected from SmackDown as well. The money goes on two names, Curt Hawkins and MVP. MVP was backstage during an NXT live event recently and the NXT superstars did not hesitate in posting pictures with him. Hawkins, on the other hand, might not sound like a big return, but SmackDown needs him now.
#2 Randy Orton with the upper hand
Randy Orton has a date with Brock Lesnar for SummerSlam but it was not until Raw last night that these two men crossed paths. Paul Heyman,as usual, was at his best and put over the match like the champ that he is. Orton coming out of nowhere and hitting the RKO was just the cherry on top of the Heyman cake and WWE now has people talking about this feud.
This is exactly what everyone wanted ahead of their epic showdown at SummerSlam and now, it will be up to Orton to keep the hype going on SmackDown. Lesnar and Heyman are clearly not going to show up on Tuesday nights and this presents a tricky situation.
#3 Sorting out the women
The women’s division of SmackDown is something that needs a lot of work. Last week, WWE had a Natalya vs. Becky Lynch match and simply packed in Eva Marie, Naomi, Alexa Bliss and Carmella into one segment as an afterthought. It was chaotic and we got no idea on where these women are heading from there. The best part of the segment was probably Eva Marie getting booed out of the building.
WWE could try to capitalize on the heat Eva Marie has with fans and build her up as major heel, but her terrible in-ring work will definitely be a major stumbling block. Carmella is another Superstar to watch out as Triple H believes that she could shine on her own but she really isn’t the same without Enzo & Cass. The way in which Naomi, Natalya and Becky Lynch will get treated will also make the women’s division segment a must watch on this show.
#4 American Alpha debuts
American Alpha is the team that created the most buzz during the WWE draft. They were drafted to SmackDown but didn’t show up on the first week of SmackDown after the WWE Draft. WWE, however, has confirmed that Chad Gable and Jason Jordan will indeed be making their debut this week.
They are almost guaranteed to get a babyface push on the show and will be the faces of SmackDown’s tag-team division. While it will be an impactful debut either way, there is a dream scenario that could happen with Kurt Angle showing up and taking both Gable and Jordan under his wing. Rumors about Angle returning were strong ahead of Monday Night Raw, but it did not happen. While there is still hope of Angle showing up, it’s an unlikely scenario.
#5 The WWE Championship scene
The biggest news from last week’s SmackDown was the rise of Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler defeated five other superstars on SmackDown’s main event last week to become the #1 contender for Dean Ambrose’s WWE Championship. Ziggler’s win did make the fans scratch their heads and it evoked a mixed reaction altogether. But, now that the match is booked, attracting heat and publicity would be the next step.
Both Ambrose and Ziggler are popular Superstars who will get cheered by the fans but WWE have to bring something different to this storyline or it’ll get lost in the SummerSlam shuffle. Despite this, it will be good to see Ziggler in the main event scene once again. He deserves it.
