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In 2019, WWE announced they had signed a huge deal with Fox to air SmackDown Live weekly, beginning in October. Looking at the quality of the current product, they might be regretting that right now. But SmackDown has plenty of potential going forward, with one of the most talented rosters that WWE has ever seen. If the booking problems can be corrected, SmackDown will again become WWE's crown jewel.
While we don't have much faith in creative turning it around in a hurry, the push of some new faces can certainly help, and while the main event itself right now isn't in trouble, it could certainly do with some new blood. So without further ado, sit back and read along as we look to October and SmackDown Live's move to Fox, and analyze 5 faces that need to be given big time main event pushes come that time.
#5 Aleister Black
Aleister Black coming to the main roster was a big deal, and his partnership with Ricochet was fantastic while it lasted, but now he's on his own ready to become a main event player. His time on SmackDown Live, however, has been quite odd, as he has yet to get in and wrestle (his biggest strength), as instead, he has been cutting ominous promos, daring anyone to step up and fight him.
This is a great way to make his matches seem big time, but we lack the faith in WWE right now to believe they'll pull through with him, and if they don't treat him the way he deserves, they'll be missing on a true megastar. Black has the aura, the unique look, the character work and the in-ring work to make himself an absolute star, and if WWE give him a little freedom along with his push, he'll be WWE Champion by the end of 2020.
#4 Finn Balor
In the WWE Draft of 2016, Balor was the #5 pick for Monday Night RAW and went on to become the first ever Universal Champion. But you wouldn't believe it by looking at his past year. Sure, he's been having great matches and been booked quite a bit better over the past few months, but after returning from the injury that cost him the Universal Title, he was seemingly irrelevant to WWE's booking team.
He's currently reigning as the Intercontinental Champion, but Balor and his Demon character have more potential than that, and when the reign of The New Day comes to an end at the top, Balor is the perfect babyface to step in. Roman Reigns is likely to get a big push coming out of his rivalry with Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre, but Balor is just as talented, if not more, and it makes sense for WWE to strap a rocket to him.
#3 Ali
205 Live has been criminally overlooked in the past 18 months (despite the loss of several top stars), but they've produced plenty of stars, and the biggest of which is certainly the Heart and Soul, Ali. He's easily the most likable performer in WWE today and pairing that with his incredible work inside the ring, he has all the makings of a babyface World Champion, and it's likely WWE will pull the trigger on him in the next 12 months.
He's already competed for the WWE Championship in 2019 (albeit in very dubious circumstances), and he fits right in the main event scene, and with top heels like Andrade and potentially Roman Reigns, he'd be the best foil. Reigns isn't a heel yet, but turning him and opposing him with The Heart and Soul would be incredible television, and however they do it, Ali must be in their 2019 main event plans.
#2 Ember Moon
Throughout her run in NXT, it was very easy to see why WWE were so high on Ember Moon, as she connects with the crowd well, has a great look and is one of the most athletic performers the women's division has ever seen. Unfortunately, her time on the main roster so far has been hampered by injury and being overlooked, but now that she's settled on SmackDown Live, WWE need to get behind her in a big way.
Her character hasn't been treated as well as she'd like on the main roster either, but with more development in that category, she'll be one of the biggest stars in the entire company. A match with Charlotte Flair or even Asuka should be built up too at WrestleMania, as Moon can be that big of a star, but WWE need to turn it around with her booking and start treating her that way as they move to Fox.
#1 Andrade
Ever since he stepped foot in NXT, many people saw Andrade as the future of WWE, and with Zelina Vega by his side, he's well on his way to living up to those lofty expectations. While he hasn't exactly set the world on fire since joining SmackDown Live, he's put on some show-stealing bouts, and with his charisma, attitude and pure in-ring brilliance, it's only a matter of time until El Idolo hits the main event.
Behind the scenes, he's also dating Charlotte, who has a massive pull behind the scenes, so when you put all of this together, it's hard to see Andrade not becoming the massive star we all expect him to become. With the main event scene being quite busy at the moment, it's not going to happen for at least a few months, but when SmackDown Live heads to Fox, he should be one of the stars at the forefront of the show.
