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Kevin Owens finally returned to WWE after a long hiatus due to an injury and with the help of Mr. McMahon, was thrust into the WWE Title picture soon before you could say KO. If you missed tonight's episode of SmackDown, Mr. McMahon interrupted Daniel Bryan's contract signing for the WWE Title match at Fastlane next month against Kofi Kingston.
Vince mentioned that he appreciated all Kofi has done for the company but he had a more suitable challenger in mind for the WWE Champion, before introducing the returning Kevin Owens.
Here's a recap from SmackDown live if you missed the show:
Let's break down why KO's return was on SmackDown and not RAW and what WWE might have in store for the former Universal Champion.
#1 WWE wants Kingston to have his WrestleMania moment
It's no secret that Kofi Kingston has been one the most underappreciated Superstars in the WWE and was overlooked during most of his singles career. Kofi found his time in the limelight much later in his career as a member of The New Day.
The WWE Universe now almost unanimously agrees and management surely sees the value of having an underdog like Kingston in the main title picture.
WWE got such a great reaction from Kofi's performance at the Elimination Chamber that the most logical thing for them to do is to keep the hype on, whilst making us think that it's not going to happen till it actually does, at WrestleMania.
This would be a huge opportunity for Kingston and although it won't make up for all the years he struggled in the mid-card, it's definitely a start.
#2 They want to push Kevin Owens into the WWE title picture
The prodigal son returned to WWE tonight and was sent straight into the WWE Championship picture by none other than Mr. McMahon. Owens deserved the Universal Title reign and was starting to stagnate a little in the main roster before his departure. Now that he's back, WWE wants to waste no time and send KO straight up to fight Daniel Bryan at Fastlane.
Maybe this was always the plan and Kofi was just a placeholder challenger for Daniel until KO returned. Surely after the reaction, we got from the crowd, no one wants Kofi to be replaced at this point which complicates the matter.
However, it's nothing that can't be solved with a good old triple threat title bout at Fastlane, if not at the grandest stage of them all.
#3 SmackDown needs more talent
SmackDown's star power is severely lacking while WWE RAW has more big names than they know what to do with. While a heavy hitter like Balor is holding the IC title on RAW, here on SmackDown, we barely have a challenger for the US Champion on most weeks.
KO moving to the Blue brand was a logically sound decision on management's part since the Prizefighter can finally make things interesting on Tuesdays.
#4 They are setting up a triple threat match at Fastlane
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Whenever WWE is confused about which two out of three Superstars should face each other, more often than not, we get a Triple Threat matchup.
This could be a good choice since all three Superstars will get equal footing and there's no telling who will come out as champion. Be aware though, it would probably take ages for the three-man match to be set up after many distractions, interferences and DQs in coming weeks.
#5 Kevin Owens and Kofi Kingston to form a tag team
Kofi and Owens put up a great match against Rowan and Daniel Bryan tonight on SmackDown and even though KO potentially ruined Kofi's shot at the title, they showed great chemistry in the ring. Near the end of the match, Kofi leapt off the ropes to the outside to clear out Rowan so that KO could finish the match and that was a big moment for the tag team as it led to Daniel's pinfall.
Kofi is a team player, no doubt, but KO has had his issues as well his moments will partners like Jericho and Elias. Regardless of if it eventually turns sour or not, these two teaming up would be a great thing for the Blue brand and might even help put Kofi on the map as a top star in the WWE, which he deserves, now more than ever.
