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WWE SmackDown has been dishing out some great shows in recent times, and is slowly coming at par with Raw, even surpassing it at times. This is because of the talent and star power on SmackDown.
With Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Charlotte, The Miz, Samoa Joe, Becky Lynch, Asuka, Rey Mysterio, and Rusev on one roster, it is hard not to think of all the dream matches and dream partnerships that can come out of the blue brand.
We’ve already seen Samoa Joe come after AJ Styles, Randy Orton destroy Jeff Hardy, and The Bar overcome The New Day, which have all resulted in great storylines, keeping us captivated.
Going forward, we can expect a few more great rivalries to come out of SmackDown, while Raw tries to regain its footing after a title relinquish and a few injury scares.
Keeping that in mind, SmackDown should build on a few more rivalries heading forward, as both Royal Rumble and WrestleMania are just a few months ahead. Lets take a look at three rivalries which could really help the SmackDown superstars, keeping them relevant and building them for the future.
#3 Andrade "Cien" Almas and Rusev
Rusev is one of the best wrestlers on the main roster today. He has significantly improved since his debut, and can now be categorised as one of the top wrestlers on SmackDown.
Almas made his main roster debut this year, and has impressed almost everyone who enjoys wrestling. He has the talent and charisma to go far, and the WWE has already indicated that by giving him some high-profile matches, while other NXT graduates are stuck nowhere on the main roster.
What’s lacking from Rusev and Almas’ current storyline is a solid enough rivalry to catapult both men to the top of SmackDown. While Rusev and Aiden English hinted at a good rivalry earlier, it all fell apart way too soon, and headed nowhere at all.
The two superstars should be used to ignite a much needed and welcome rivalry, in which they could take on each other in matches to find out who the better wrestler is, and also for a shot at a title in the future.
With Zelina Vega at Almas’ side, and Lana at Rusev’s side, a lot of interesting angles could come out of the rivalry, pushing both wrestlers in the right direction, and building them as a bigger threat than they already are.
#2 Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville have been competing as a tag team, and as individuals by each other's side for quite some time now. Originally two thirds of the trio Absolution, they found themselves without their leader Paige after she had to retire from active competition, due to a legitimate injury.
Since then, we’ve seen Paige in different roles, and now we see her as the onscreen General Manager of SmackDown, the brand Rose and Sonya compete on. However, being on a brand led by their former friend hasn’t really helped them progress much.
During Evolution’s Battle Royal, the two women worked together to attack and even eliminate a few superstars, before Rose turned on Sonya, and eliminated her too. The tension should have risen right there, and the next episode of SmackDown should have cashed in on the undercard superstars’ rift.
However, they waited until the November 6 episode of SmackDown to build on the tension as Rose immediately appeared once Sonya and four other women were announced as part of Team SmackDown for the upcoming Survivor Series.
As Rose took shots at the women around her, a brawl broke out which was soon broken up. She eventually came face-to-face with Deville, but both women did not get into an altercation even after attempts by the audience to goad them into fighting.
#1 Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio
AJ Styles isn’t the only top draw on SmackDown. He is surrounded by men like Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio who have been the past of the WWE, are the present, and will be the future of the business.
Rey Mysterio returned to the WWE in grand fashion, and first beat Shinsuke Nakamura on SmackDown 1000 to book a place in the World Cup at Crown Jewel, and then beat The Legend Killer to progress into the semifinals of the tournament.
Randy Orton wasn’t pleased with his defeat against The Master of 619, and attacked the masked cruiserweight after his victory against Almas on SmackDown (November 6).
The WWE seems to be on a similar path of a rivalry which saw Randy Orton nearly destroy Jeff Hardy. During that time Jeff Hardy was fighting for the US Championship, and it seems like Rey Mysterio is also in contention for the red, blue and white title, while The Viper is on his trail.
This is one rivalry which the WWE should jump on, as it could not only be a cash cow, but also a ratings booster. Both men have had great matches in the past, and the experienced duo can put on equally good matches now.
As the storyline of Orton out to destroy those who are cheered by the WWE Universe continues, he could take a shot at the returned Master of 619, week after week.
