SmackDown Preview: Top Face in line for a big push, Grudge rivalry set to continue (August 13, 2019)

WWE kickstarted the week with a fantastic show at SummerSlam. Despite the minimalistic hype behind the biggest party of summer, the show delivered incredible results.

From Kevin Owens successfully saving his job to Kofi Kingston's vicious attack on Randy Orton. the blue brand witnessed its Superstars engage in several jaw-dropping moments.

SmackDown women's champion Bayley also defended her title against Ember Moon. Now that SummerSlam is done and dusted, we are headed towards the dawn of new feuds and hopefully, answers to few old ones.

Here's what can go down on SmackDown Live this week

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#4 Roman Reigns takes on Buddy Murphy

Two weeks ago, Roman Reigns was attacked by a mystery person on his way to an exclusive backstage interview. Many speculated that it was Samoa Joe who was trying to harm the Big Dog.

In the following week, Joe demanded an apology for the suspicion towards him. Reigns was once again attacked in the parking lot right in front of Joe which confirmed that the latter had nothing to do with the mysterious ambushing of the former Universal Champion.

However, there was another name that joined the list of suspects. WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy was spotted during the first attack. As a result, Reigns caught hold of Murphy and demanded answers. When the latter refused to give up the name of the attacker, Reigns demolished him inside the locker room during SmackDown.

Murphy then went on to face Apollo Crews during the pre-show of SummerSlam where he was attacked by Rowan since Murphy implied that it was him.

Although we still don't know who attacked Reigns, the Big Dog is determined to find his way out. In the process, he is set to take on Buddy Murphy in tonight's episode of SmackDown after the match was official by WWE earlier today.

#3 Bayley finds her next challenger

SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley had a short-lived feud with Ember Moon. The latter was handpicked by the champion to be her SummerSlam opponent.

Often appearing as friends, Moon and Bayley had slight tension during their segments. Both Superstars took the opportunity to hot each other with their finisher in the weeks building up to SummerSlam. However, their match was slightly slow at the pay-per-view where Bayley emerged victoriously.

Now Bayley will look to find her next opponent by issuing an open challenge tonight. With this opportunity at hand, Charlotte Flair may be the next one to go toe-to-toe with the Champion for the gold.

Both these Superstars share a rivalry that dates back to their NXT days. In case you forgot, Bayley became the SmackDown Women's Champion at the expense of Flair.

At Money in the Bank 2019, Becky Lynch was attacked by Charlotte Flair and Lacey Evans. Bayley, who won the MITB contract earlier in the evening, came out to defend Lynch. In the process, Flair was down and Bayley seized the opportunity. She went on to cash-in her MITB contract and pinned Flair to become the new Champion.

With the Superstars sharing an intense history, Flair may be the next challenger who decides to step up against the reigning champion.

Having said that, there's a bleak chance of Ember Moon wanting to continue with the feud. But will Bayley want the same or will she look to take on a new opponent?

# Kevin Owens and King of the Ring tournament

WWE Superstar Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon at SummerSlam in order to continue being associated with WWE. With his career on the line, KO had no option but to deliver his best in Toronto and he didn't disappoint.

From playing mind games with Owens to employing Elias as the 'official enforcer' in the match, Shane McMahon did everything he could to beat his opponent. In fact, Elias saved Shane from getting pinned at several instances during the match. This led a frustrated Owens into hitting Elias with multiple chair shots right outside the ring.

He then seized the opportunity when the referee wasn't looking and hit Shane with a low blow. Following that, KO hit a stunner and picked his victory via pinfall.

It almost seems like this feud will now be a part of a history book but Shane isn't someone who backs down that easily. Thus, he might try once again to reignite the rivalry between the two Superstars. Only this time, he might have something more devious on his mind.

Meanwhile, Kevin Owens is the favorite to win the recently announced 'King of the Ring' 2019.

Eight Superstars from the Blue Brand including KO will be taking part in the tournament. One of the names included in this list is that of Elias. Considering their recent clash, it is possible that KO will find his next opponent in Elias who will also look to avenge the multiple chair shots he took at SummerSlam.

#1 A decade-old rivalry continues

Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton's feud dates back to 2009. The Viper sated that Kofi Kingston's glory days as the WWE Champion was only possible because of htim.

Not only that, reports suggested that Orton used his influence to curb Kofi's push back in 2009 and called him 'stupid' their fight. Neither Kofi nor the WWE Universe forgot this decade-old feud which has now engulfed both Superstar into a heated rivalry.

At SummerSlam, Orton and Kofi locked horns in a match where no one was victorious. The Apex Predator did not refrain from humiliating Kofi in front of his family and taunted the champion's kids who were seated in the front row. Following that, Kofi retained his title as the match ended in double count-out. However, Kofi was not yet done.

After the bell rang, Kofi seemed to have remembered everything that has happened between both the Superstars and unleashed years of repressed anger. He used a kendo stick to attack Orton and continue to hit him before being stopped by the other officials.

Tonight, Orton is expected to come out and respond to the kendo stick attack on him by the reigning WWE Champion. Time and again, the Viper has stated that the New Day member does not deserve to carry the title around his waist.

Now that he was at the receiving end of the brutal attack from Kofi, what will be Orton's reaction?