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WrestleMania 36 was a good show with limited resources, and the company made it happen against all odds, in what will be remembered as one of the most memorable and unique events in our lifetime. At the same time, I thought that the RAW that followed was very weak.
I genuinely think that SmackDown needs to remind us that even though a lockdown is on, the company is committed to providing quality entertainment. And this can quite easily be achieved with a few surprises interspersed through the span of the show.
Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think of each one of the surprises that I have outlined in this article.
#5 Bray Wyatt confronts the new Universal Champion Braun Strowman
Everyone is still raving about the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania where Braun Strowman picked up a victory over Goldberg. Everyone is also thrilled about the Firefly Funhouse match at WrestleMania, which was a very strange departure from the kind of presentation that WWE is known for. We all know that if you put the two elements together, in a heated feud, the result will be pure, 24-karat magic.
Braun Strowman and The Fiend also have a history that they share with one another, meaning that The Fiend can also use this to his advantage in the Firefly Funhouse vignettes. And there is no way to tell who will win in such a match considering that both men win a lot more matches than they lose.
I would genuinely prefer to see Braun Strowman take on The Fiend than someone like say, King Corbin because the outcome would be far more difficult to predict between those two forces of nature.
What a Universal Championship feud it would be!
#4 Bryan and Gulak enter the tag team division
Because The Miz had to bow out of the proceedings at WrestleMania 36, John Morrison took on one competitor from each of the teams that had been booked in the match. And it still turned out to be the best-case scenario considering that he won the match for his team.
And then, suddenly, out of nowhere, we have a team that's just waiting in the wings to command and conquer the tag team division. Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak are a lot like the typical wrestling fan, equal parts nerdy and equal parts goofy but what makes them stand apart is their innate ability to work circles around all of their competitors.
And because Daniel Bryan and The Miz already have a readymade rivalry, they could storm the division and pick up wins over The New Day and The Usos, leading to a big-time title opportunity where they pick up a win over the champions when The Miz is ready to return once again. This week could be the start of this run, I do suppose.
#3 Footage of Bayley dissing Sasha Banks gets leaked
Sasha Banks and Bayley were allied for a large portion of the WrestleMania match and then suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a miscue between the two friends. This resulted in us wondering whether the Boss n' Hug Connection was over and done when suddenly Banks returned to help Bayley defeat Lacey Evans and retain her prestigious title.
Now, we know that there is a mysterious figure who has been leaking videos about the performers in the roster and he was, indirectly, the reason why Otis ended up with Mandy Rose. Now, what if the same person leaks video footage of Bayley saying bad things about her supposed best friend behind her back and causes a rift between the two of them, leading to a big match at Money in the Bank?
Not only will it be a really good surprise and a very effective plot twist, but also, it will be a great way to ensure that Sasha Banks comes off looking like a babyface despite all of her recent actions.
#2 The Kabuki Warriors win back their titles again
I don't necessarily know if this will be a positive twist or not, but one thing that's for sure is that The Kabuki Warriors will try their best to win back the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. And let's say that they come up short, who is next in line to take on Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross?
The truth of the situation is that this division has become so much of an afterthought that there has been no time or effort spent in developing tag teams, especially heels tag team units. Even if The IIconics were to return, they have been treated as enhancement talents prior to this and there's a big chance that they wouldn't be taken seriously as contenders. So, putting the titles back on the Kabuki Warriors will at least keep this feud going for a while.
Not all surprises are pleasant and I am not saying that I will be a fan of this one, but hey, for what it is worth, it will be a newsworthy event coming out of the show.
#1 Elias confronts Sami Zayn
What is the point of a WrestleMania victory if it doesn't lead to a future opportunity, you ask? It is precisely for this reason that I believe that Elias, who is no fan of Sami Zayn, should confront Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship on WWE SmackDown.
This is a match that could potentially play out at WWE Money in the Bank. And it is fine even if Sami Zayn retains the title because it will still be a massive step up for Elias, who has been languishing as a comedy character and little more in the past few months.
And if Elias was to become the Intercontinental Champion, I wouldn't be too displeased because he has proved, time and again, that he can be the most interesting character in the roster armed only with his guitar and his voice, before the fists even come into the picture and the bell actually rings.
Maybe his win over King Corbin is an indication that the company believes in him and will push him all the way to the top of the roster.
