SmackDown Live has been creating a lot of buzz these days. Led by the commissioner Shane McMahon and fan-favourite GM, Daniel Bryan, this show has been setting up top quality matches and even getting good PPV hits, given the limited roster size.
No one other than Daniel Bryan knows how to book the guys at the bottom of the pyramid and bring out the best in them. The SmackDown exclusive PPVs have been at par and sometimes better than their RAW counterparts.
A recent example would be the booking of SmackDown's No Mercy PPV, where the main event kicked off the show. Creativity is always appreciated and there are some matches that WWE could schedule for the upcoming days from their SmackDown roster. As part of this slideshow, let us have a look at 5 such bookings many fans are waiting for:
#1 Shuffling and talent injection
No matter how hard you try to make interesting matches, the dearth of talent on the roster cannot be ignored. This is something SmackDown is living with today. Talks with former and current indie wrestlers happen behind the curtains and so there is every reason to expect some new faces appearing on SmackDown.
Maybe bring in the much-anticipated NXT stars, Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura to SmackDown, and challenge them with some great matches against stars like Orton, Cena and Ambrose. Not only will the crowd love it but also it will give a fresh feel to SmackDown as a whole.
#2 Rhyno/ Heath Slater vs. Luke Harper/ Erick Rowan
SmackDown's Tag team championship bookings have to be handled very carefully because there is a dearth in the number of tag teams on their roster. The only proven tag team on the entire SmackDown roster are the Usos but their bookings these days have been largely dis-satisfactory.
Now that Luke Harper is back, Daniel Bryan could try something really brilliant by setting up a match between current tag champs, Rhyno/Heath Slater and Luke Harper/Erick Rowan.
These guys winning tag titles would also be interesting given the strong chemistry between them. Also, with this their leader, Bray Wyatt would be given some individuality and even his bookings can be improved.
All of this could start at Survivor Series, in which the tag team of Harper and Rowan could stand out as the best team in the traditional tag match and ask for an opportunity for a title shot.
#3 Apollo Crews vs. Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler - IC title
The best way to groom talent on the roster is to bring superstars to the mid card, make them champions there and make sure that crowd connects with them. Once this is all set and done, give them a boost up the ladder. Throw them some serious competition at the top level and you slowly see stars emerging.
Something similar could be made out of Apollo Crews. He has got all the potential in the world when it comes to making quick reflexes and performing high-risk moves. He could be introduced in the IC title scene and groom him into a star for the future. Let’s not take Dolph Ziggler and Miz out of the equation here.
Why not make it a triple threat? You have three fan favourites here, going at it for one of the most prestigious titles in WWE.
#4 Bray Wyatt vs. AJ Styles
If there is one booking WWE aren’t great at, it’s Bray Wyatt’s.
Bray's fate hasn't changed much even after the brand split. He was recently involved in a bout with Randy Orton but the storyline and the booking were awkward. Luke Harper returning and doing a favour for the leader of the family won't do any good for Bray, at least not after this match.
It is never too late to bring Bray into the title scene as the so-called 'perfect time' never seems to come for Bray. Every additional mediocre booking is going to bury Bray's talent deeper into the mud and that is a risk.
AJ Styles has had a couple of fresh bouts with Dean and Cena and he is just continuing things. Bray could smell an opportunity here and quickly get into the title scene and do himself a favour. The crowd would love to see Bray and Styles fight for the WWE title and the booking of the match should be proper and result-oriented.
#5 John Cena vs. Randy Orton
I don’t need to talk about the intensity this bout could bring among the WWE fans.
This is one of WWE’s all-time classic bouts and the crowd will love it this year, next year, the year after that and even 10 years from now. Such is the aura these two stars bring into every match they are a part of.
What if these two men could collide for the WWE title once more? John Cena could possibly equal Ric Flair’s record by beating the viper in a singles match.
You have both the guys on the roster and setting up a match like this could boost the SmackDown exclusive PPV ratings a lot!
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