SmackDown's Best Kept Secret has been revealed to the world. Buddy Murphy gained a reputation as one of WWE's best in-ring competitors on 205 Live, yet after being moved to the main roster, he was disappointingly kept waiting on the sidelines for four months with barely any television appearances.
But after accidentally getting involved in the Roman Reigns attack storyline, Murphy was given his first match on SmackDown against The Big Dog. The bout instantly became one of the best WWE matches of 2019, being widely praised by fans, watched millions of times on YouTube, and earning four stars from the Wrestling Observer.
After gaining so much momentum from one match, the question is: who should Murphy face now? After he challenges Daniel Bryan this week on SmackDown, here are some of the best choices for Murphy to have his next match of the year contender with.
Ali
Before Murphy was battlng former WWE Champions, he was setting the standard on 205 Live. Some of Murphy's greatest battles were against Ali, particularly the No DQ epic they had on July 3rd 2018. Unfortunately, the exhausted 205 audience never gave these wars the appreciation they deserved, yet as SmackDown superstars, they will hopefully be given the fan response their talents warrant.
Ali and Murphy were given a bigger stage to show off their chemistry back at Survivor Series, yet viewers were sadly distracted by the Enzo Amore incident which happened minutes earlier. Now without a leopard print wearing attention seeker in sight, and a crowd familiar and enthused by their work, it is the perfect time to let Ali and Murphy set the standard for main roster television matches for a long time to come which is exactly what they'll do in the first round of the upcoming King of the Ring tournament.
Seth Rollins
Rumour has it WWE's wildcard rule is being fazed out going forward, but with Seth Rollins already advertised for the first SmackDown Live on Fox, Murphy may have one more chance to impress against a Raw superstar.
WWE's major new network debut deserves a big first time match up to set the tone for what viewers can expect from the blue brand. A clash between two of the company's greatest between the ropes would display their new competitive, sports-orientated action.
Rollins and Murphy have in-ring styles that make them perfect opponents. When The Universal Champion makes his way over to SmackDown demanding for blue brand competition, the brash former Cruiserweight Champion should answer the call and bring his best to The Architect.
After bombarding the audience with a showcase of appearances from WWE legends, a lengthy, back-and-forth brawl between Rollins and Murphy would be the ideal taster of top wrestling quality to keep people tuning in every week. By matching Seth's pace and intensity throughout, much like he did with Roman last week, Murphy has a chance to earn the Universal Champ's seal of approval, setting him up further for a run as a main event star.
Chad Gable
Since his days in NXT as a member of American Alpha, Chad Gable has been building a reputation as a highly skilled professional wrestling, blending his amateur background with high athleticism and impressive strength. His abilities have earned him the NXT, SmackDown and Raw tag team championships.
After a recent move to 205 Live saw the former Olympian put on one of the best received matches in the show's history against Gentleman Jack Gallagher, Gable will be competing in the King of the Ring tournament as a member of the SmackDown brand. With his time being split between the two shows Gable should make his presence on SmackDown known by challenging for wrestling supremacy against another former cruiserweight known for his high match quality.
An internet-breaking match between Gable and Murphy on SmackDown would be the perfect launching pad for both men's careers. They each possess a wealth of strength, speed and wrestling acumen, making them a perfect pairing to produce mind-blowing action. Despite recent rumours of a hilarious nickname change for the 2012 Olympic participant, Gable is primed for a highly competitive rivalry with someone that can match his intensity, and Buddy Murphy is that person.
Kevin Owens
During the recent SmackDown Town Hall summit, Buddy Murphy challenged Kevin Owens to a match much to the approval of Shane McMahon. So far, we have not been treated to this guaranteed excellence, but now with the Best Kept Secret's stock on the rise, it should only a matter of time before these two cocky, talented competitors get to stand inside a ring together.
It isn't too late for Shane McMahon to grant Buddy Murphy his wish. Now he has seen what he can do in the ring, it's in Shane's best interest to put Owens through a war with such a tenacious fighter.
With Owens in the midst of the biggest face run of his WWE career, and fans aware of Murphy's competitive abilities, Murphy vs. Owens has the potential to set any WWE audience on fire. After seeing how perfectly he sold Roman Reigns' spear during their recent instant classic, fans are waiting to see how well he can take a Stunner from KO. With a fast-pace, and an array of visually appealing moves, Owens and Murphy have all the makings to produce some of the best brawls of their respective careers against each other.
Andrade
Following on from a major victory over Rey Mysterio on Raw, Andrade is on a hot momentum streak. The cocky young star probably wasn't best pleased when from out of nowhere, a former 205 Live roster member stole some of his thunder by having a match so widely praised by fans just one night later on SmackDown Live.
We have seen in the past that Andrade and his manager, Zelina Vega, do not appreciate sharing the spotlight with anybody. After being so impressive in his SmackDown Live debut, Andrade and Zelina have grounds to challenge Murphy to see which of the two is the hottest young star in WWE today.
A feud between Andrade and Murphy doesn't have to be anything complicated, just a competitive rivalry between two cocky, highly skilled athletes to prove who is the greatest between the ropes. Aside from a few house shows, Murphy and Andrade have yet to touch inside a ring on television. We have seen Andrade and Murphy both have show-stealing bouts throughout their WWE careers, so a feud between the two could provide us with a series of top tier television matches, and a few pay-per-view epics along the way.
Shinsuke Nakamura
During the Extreme Rules kickoff show in July, Shinsuke Nakamura captured the Intercontinental Championship from Finn Balor after a lengthy hiatus from WWE television. In the eyes of many fans, Shinsuke Nakamura is long overdue one of his top tier, strong style encounters that he was known for back during his NXT days, as well as his legendary run in New Japan. If WWE want to bring Nakamura back to prominence by reminding people how brilliant of a performer he is, let him showcase his talents against Buddy Murphy.
With him making such a splash as of late, it makes perfect sense for Murphy's efforts to be rewarded with a title opportunity. The Intercontinental Championship gained a reputation for being the 'workhorse' title over the years, and nobody embodies that style much better today than Buddy Murphy does, making it the perfect target for the former Cruiserweight Champion to set his sights on.
The King of Strong Style and the Best Kept Secret battling over the Intercontinental Championship could be a barrage of brutal knee strikes, masterful counters and hard-hitting action of the finest quality. Give them the opportunity, and let them blow the WWE Universe away.
