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Roman Reigns is the face of SmackDown and has been for nearly a year now. While that was the original intention when he was drafted to Smackdown in 2019, it took a little while because of his 5-month hiatus in between.
SmackDown has officially entered the post-Thunderdome era and, with the crowds back, things could be more exciting than ever. Apart from Roman Reigns, here are five stars who should get a push in SmackDown's new era.
#5. Cesaro - Another push lost on SmackDown?
Cesaro started 2021 with great promise on SmackDown and, up until the mid-point of the year, seemed to be going well. Not only was Cesaro receiving the biggest singles push of his career, but it involved clean victories over Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins. He also emerged as a Universal Championship contender against Roman Reigns.
It was all going well, even when it was obvious that Cesaro wasn't going to become the Universal Champion so quickly. All of that came crashing to an end because of circumstances outside of Cesaro's control.
It was reported that Edge chose Seth Rollins as his SummerSlam opponent. At Hell in a Cell, Seth Rollins finally defeated Cesaro before repeating the feat on SmackDown to qualify for the Money in the Bank 2021 ladder match.
With the crowds returning on the July 16 edition of SmackDown, Cesaro seemingly began a feud with Otis and Chad Gable (Alpha Academy). It looks like a big step down the ladder for Cesaro, who was closing in on Universal title contendership again.
Cesaro originally challenged Roman Reigns to a match at Hell in a Cell before Seth Rollins attacked him on SmackDown. With SmackDown in a new era, it would make a lot of sense for Cesaro to be one of the big beneficiaries. His feud with Otis and Chad Gable could simply serve as filler until he takes a step back up.
Gradually building him back up to Universal title contendership would be the best course of action. However, it also wouldn't be surprising if WWE drafts Cesaro from SmackDown to RAW this year.
#4. Chad Gable - SmackDown's most underrated superstar?
Chad Gable isn't just one of SmackDown's most underrated stars, but one of WWE's most underrated stars overall. It's only because Chad Gable hasn't had the opportunity to showcase what he is truly made of.
Many fans don't realize this, but SmackDown's Chad Gable is a superstar with all-round talent. If given the right storyline, he could have good character progression. He's great on the mic and is a special in-ring talent as well.
The issue is that the modern WWE roster is full of incredible in-ring talents. It takes a lot more than that to show what one is made of. With that said, there are a couple of positives here. For one, Chad Gable gets regular TV time on SmackDown and has done so for a while. Secondly, he is only 35 years old and could still be a couple of years away from hitting his true prime in WWE.
SmackDown is the right brand for Chad Gable to be in and he should be kept there. A split with Otis down the line seems inevitable, but it will be interesting to see who walks out as the beneficiary of it.
Right now, it would most likely be Otis. But if Chad Gable gains momentum in SmackDown's new era, he could take the next big step.
#3. Liv Morgan - The next breakout female star on SmackDown?
Liv Morgan has been on SmackDown for a while now, spending most of her time as a singles star being underutilized. She got some TV time on SmackDown along with Ruby Riott, but once the latter was released, Morgan was on her own again.
The Money in the Bank storyline came as a good potential breakthrough moment. Liv Morgan is finally involved in a storyline on SmackDown - one where authority figure Sonya Deville made her jump hurdle after hurdle to finally get a slot at Money in the Bank.
Liv Morgan is young and still has time to shine on SmackDown. It's the right brand for her to grow and develop as SmackDown lacks many babyfaces in the women's division right now.
Normally, getting pushed in the WWE women's division is cyclical, and we're sure that Liv Morgan will get her turn at some point. But when it comes to building stars in the women's division on SmackDown, Liv Morgan must be given top priority.
#2. Big E - The next big star on SmackDown?
Unlike some of the other superstars on this list, Big E has been getting a consistent push on SmackDown. When WWE split The New Day and put Big E as a singles star on SmackDown last year, it was clear what the direction was.
WWE was finally going to capitalize on Big E's potential as a singles superstar and it's been happening ever since. One Intercontinental Championship reign later, Big E seems to be moving in only one direction - forward.
When looking at the young stars on SmackDown that WWE is pushing, Big E seems to be the top priority. Hopefully, he doesn't get drafted to RAW because he has a bigger chance of becoming a top star on SmackDown.
Moreover, it's now WWE's "A-Show" and, with a higher viewership, there are more eyes to watch Big E's rise on SmackDown. Big E could serve as a future opponent to Roman Reigns and it was teased on the first SmackDown with crowds back.
If Roman Reigns has an extremely long reign as the Universal Champion, then Big E might be the superstar who benefits by taking his throne on SmackDown.
#1. Finn Balor - The latest return on SmackDown
Finn Balor is back on SmackDown in a big return to the WWE main roster. After spending nearly two years in NXT and enjoying a long second run as NXT Champion, Finn Balor made a splash on SmackDown.
He took out Sami Zayn, seemingly beginning a feud with SmackDown's biggest conspiracy theorist. It should be fun to watch and hopefully Finn Balor gets a big push on SmackDown.
The last time Finn Balor debuted on the main roster was 5 years ago. He made an instant impact, pinning Roman Reigns clean on his first night. He defeated Seth Rollins to become the inaugural Universal Champion, but he had to vacate it a night later.
When he returned to RAW, it was never the same. He even had a run on SmackDown but that would mark the end of his main roster run as he was sent to NXT.
It was good to have two years away from the main roster as he is now a fresh face again. SmackDown needs top babyfaces, especially if Roman Reigns is going to continue his incredible run as the Universal Champion.
Finn Balor could be a top contender and eventual champion down the line if he is on Smackdown. WWE should make pushing Finn Balor a top priority.
