5 things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown - Ronda Rousey's next feud; Roman Reigns' future revealed?

WWE SmackDown continued to build up the upcoming Elimination Chamber in Saudi Arabia next week. The premium live event will be WWE's seventh in Saudi Arabia as part of their 10-year partnership.

This week's SmackDown saw another match potentially being included in the show, as well as a stipulation added for an existing match. One of the popular superstars in WWE continued to suffer losses, while another, who has been built up for a long time now, failed to take part in a debut match yet again.

Overall, this week's episode of SmackDown saw several telling things WWE subtly let loose while broadcasting the show.

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#5 In our list of things WWE subtly said on SmackDown: Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman are here to stay

Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman started their partnership almost a year and a half ago.

When Reigns returned to WWE following his long hiatus, gone was "The Big Dog" the fans had grown familiar with. This man was no longer playing by the rules. However, there was only one thing he cared about - his family.

As the Tribal Chief, Reigns has delivered, but one of the best things about his new character has been the addition of Paul Heyman. The latter's presence ensures that Reigns stays heelish, something fans have been clamoring for.

The two stars seemingly parted ways earlier, when Heyman turned on Reigns to side with Brock Lesnar — however, it was a ruse. Paul betrayed Lesnar at the Royal Rumble, which, along with an attack by Reigns, led The Beast Incarnate to lose his WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley.

This week on SmackDown, Roman sat down to talk about his plans for Goldberg at the Elimination Chamber event in Saudi Arabia. Although Heyman was next to him, it was Reigns who mainly spoke.

Reigns is quite capable as a spokesperson, but WWE has still attached him to Heyman to give him that solid heel foundation. If this week's show was any indication, this is a pair the company's not breaking any time soon.

#4 It might be over for Cesaro in WWE

At one point, Cesaro was one of the most popular underutilized stars in WWE. The Swiss Cyborg showed immense feats of strength that proved he could hang in the ring with anyone he came across. Unfortunately, everyone but the promotion recognized this.

For some reason, from the very beginning, WWE didn't push him past the status of a mid-card star. In the mid-card, he dominated and showed everything that he could do, but there was much left to be desired when it came to the main event.

Last year, WWE finally appeared to believe Cesaro was worthy of a push. They even gave him a win over Seth Rollins. However, he later lost to Roman Reigns, which signaled the end of his hype.

This week, he unsurprisingly lost to Happy Corbin. This man could have been a Universal Champion, but instead, the WWE Universe will have to settle for thinking about what could have been.

#3 Xia Li is being built up for too long

Xia Li made quite an impression when she first appeared on the main roster. Given the moniker of "The Protector," her appearance was hyped up with weeks of vignettes. She was shown to be a guardian for the weak, and when she debuted, she supported stars in need. Although it has been months, she has not done much more than that.

With multiple appearances to interrupt a face getting beaten down, she has indeed been a protector on SmackDown. However, she is yet to have her first televised SmackDown match.

With the amount of build they are giving her, WWE could be in trouble unless they decide to provide her with an opponent soon, with fans getting burnt out by the character.

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#2 Drew McIntyre's WrestleMania match

It feels like Drew McIntyre has been feuding with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss since forever.

Drew McIntyre is one of the top names in the company. In 2020, he carried the company on his back, with no Roman Reigns there to support him. However, he has been pushed down the card since losing the WWE title - a fate he does not deserve.

While there are a lot of stars that he could be facing at WrestleMania 38, his opponent is prominent. McIntyre will face Moss at Elimination Chamber in a match where he is expected to defeat him, just as he did at Day 1. However, at WrestleMania, this could lead to McIntyre finally facing the team's mastermind - Happy Corbin.

Corbin and McIntyre are yet to face each other during their feud on SmackDown, and it's likely that's the match that WWE has planned for the Scottish Warrior at WrestleMania.

#1 A future Sonya Deville and Ronda Rousey feud?

Sonya Deville comes from an MMA background, something that's often forgotten. She is more than capable of defending herself, which translates to her in-ring abilities. She is one of the most gifted superstars on the WWE roster, though she has been kept away from the ring for a long time.

Now, with her wrestling more frequently, she is set to face Naomi and Ronda Rousey in a tag team match next weekend.

However, while her feud with Naomi is still ongoing, fans will keep their eyes on another encounter. Deville's arm was injured by Rousey last week, and having failed to suspend and fine her thanks to a timely intervention by Vince McMahon, she will want to get her revenge.

Deville and Naomi's feud will likely conclude at WrestleMania, but she will need someone to face even after that. Who will be better than the newly returned Rousey?

The encounter between the two on SmackDown hinted at the extraordinary chemistry they share, and such a feud would undoubtedly be different than the usual Charlotte Flair feud on SmackDown.