The whole point of the brand split is to make SmackDown relevant again. The Show has been struggling with ratings after being relegated as a B Show and the brand split is expected to change the whole scenario. WWE will want SmackDown to reach the same level as Raw and the appointment of Shane McMahon as the commissioner of the show is a move in the right direction.
Shane, according to what Vince revealed, now has the opportunity to appoint a general manager for the show. Whoever Shane appoints will have a huge impact on WWE’s plans and here is a look at some of the possible choices that Shane has.
Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan’s in-ring career might’ve come to an abrupt ending, but as a non-wrestler, Bryan is still performing well. He is part of the Cruiserweight Classic and has done a great job so far. With Shane McMahon as the commissioner, one would expect the General Manger of SmackDown to be a babyface and if you remember, Bryan still carries a lot of babyface momentum with him.
He’s got all the ingredients to be a general manager of SmackDown and apparently an image of Bryan as the GM was leaked on the WWE app as well. Though this leads to nothing, it does say that Bryan is in the running for the position.
Edge
Edge has a similar situation to that of Daniel Bryan. He was forced to retire from in-ring competition due to injuries. Edge went on to do several gigs after this retirement and the latest venture is the Edge and Christian show on the WWE network.
Edge making his return to weekly WWE television will be an epic moment. He is bound to get a pop when announced as the General Manager and at the same time; he also fits the babyface mould that Shane McMahon wants.
Having the star power of Edge on weekly television will benefit SmackDown and the initial buzz will be a good start as well.
Shawn Michaels
If a returning Edge would make waves on the internet, think about what Shawn Michaels can do! The WWE fans are eagerly waiting to see Michaels back in the ring and though he might not come back in a full-fledged wrestling role, WWE could make good use of The Heart Break Kid as a General Manager. To show that SmackDown is on par with Raw, WWE needs to make some huge decisions, and bringing in Michaels will be one such decision.
The problem here will be the hesitance of Michaels to accept the offer if he is indeed given one. If WWE bypasses that, they got themselves a great authority figure.
William Regal
William Regal might not be a standout name like the other superstars in this list but we all know that he is capable of delivering. Regal, who mostly stays away from in-ring action, has been working as the manager of NXT for quite some time. He has done a commendable job so far in NXT and it’s safe to say that it has been a proving ground for Regal as well.
Thanks to his great job in NXT, It wouldn’t make the WWE fans mad if Regal is made the SmackDown General Manager. Unlike most of the other options in this list, the Regal deal will not require much negotiation from WWE’s side.
Paul Heyman
Remember the time when SmackDown was a better show than Monday Night Raw? The reason for this was Paul Heyman. Heyman was the creative writer for the show back then and though WWE is not likely to give Heyman a role of such importance this time around, he is someone who could do wonders as the General Manager of SmackDown.
Heyman has not been involved fully with the wrestling business for a long time now and this could change the pattern. Heyman is one of the best talkers in the business and we all know how good he is when playing an authority figure. Having Heyman as the GM will get WWE some much-needed mainstream press along with other things.
Who do you think will be the GM of SmackDown? Let us know in the comments section:
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