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We are all set for the first episode of SmackDown after WrestleMania 36. At the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’, we saw Braun Strowman winning the Universal Championship after he defeated Goldberg. On the other hand, Bayley, Sami Zayn, and the team of Miz and John Morrison retained their respective titles.
During the event, we also saw the Women’s Tag Team Titles change hands as Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross were crowned the new Champions after their victory over the Kabuki Warriors. ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt defeated John Cena to avenge his WrestleMania loss from six years ago.
All these results will prove to be the governing factors behind tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown which can potentially mark the beginning of new feuds and several other storylines.
In this article, we will take a look at things that can transpire on this week’s SmackDown. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Bayley and Sasha Banks feud in the making?
At WrestleMania 36, Bayley defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship in a Fatal 5-way elimination match against Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, Naomi, and Tamina. Although it was expected that Bayley will be betrayed by her best friend, the latter was eliminated and only came back to help Bayley in retaining her title.
Having said that, the match had several camera angles which showed Banks standing in the background. There was also a spot when Bayley looked at Banks and said, “No one will touch this title” before screaming the same in the face of her competitors and the commentators. The growing tension between them has been subtle but we know that the creatives are now headed towards booking this rivalry.
Given the current circumstances, it is widely believed that WWE wanted to save Banks vs Bayley for SummerSlam. Hence, it is quite possible that WWE will aim at a long, interesting build-up to their much-awaited Championship match and we could get a glimpse of that in tonight’s episode of SmackDown.
#2 Braun Strowman’s first SmackDown as the Universal Champion and his next feuds
In a shocking turn of events, we saw Braun Strowman defeat Goldberg to become the new Universal Champion. The ‘Monster Among Men’ was called in as a last-minute replacement for Roman Reigns who pulled out of WrestleMania 36 as a precaution against COVID-19. All of this led to Strowman picking up a world title that he has deserved for so long.
Tonight, Strowman will appear as the Universal Champion on SmackDown for the first time and there are high chances that we will see him initiate a feud with someone. He could also announce an open challenge that will allow other Superstars to come out and try their luck at winning the title.
Having said that, it is important for WWE to keep Strowman as a Champion for some time.
Hence, one-off encounters and good feuds will be instrumental in adding credibility to Strowman’s Championship reign. Following that, he is most likely to initiate a rivalry with the likes of Roman Reigns with whom he shares a long history and technically, got his hands on the title because the ‘Big Dog’ didn’t compete.
Beyond that, he will inevitably feud with ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt as the two were once members of the Wyatt Family.
#3 Women’s Tag Team title rematch
At WrestleMania 36, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defeated the Kabuki Warriors to become the Women’s Tag Team Champions once again. They are now set to host the former Champions in a title rematch on this week’s SmackDown.
Although it is highly unlikely that the team of Bliss and Cross will lose their Championship within one week, one can be assured that this match will be an interesting one.
No one can deny that Asuka and Kairi Sane’s reign as the Champions elevated the Women's Tag Team titles on the roster. They have been dominant throughout their time as Champions and definitely deserve a rematch. But Bliss and Cross will continue to be the Champions as WWE would want to keep the title picture interesting.
Hopefully, we will also see Bliss and Cross locking horns with other teams across all the three brands. This will also allow the creatives to come up with new tag teams. For instance, Naomi and Lacey Evans have been competing side by side during their rivalry with Sasha Banks and Bayley.
Hence, it is quite possible for them to form a team and challenge the Champions in the coming weeks.
#4 What’s next for Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak?
Daniel Bryan couldn’t defeat Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 36. It can be expected that they will continue to pursue his and Drew Gulak's goal of getting their hands on the gold and are most likely going to engage in a feud with the trio of Zayn, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura.
In their next attempt, we could also see Gulak being the one who will challenge Zayn for a title match.
If they continue to feud with Zayn and his allies, then they could receive assistance from someone else who isn’t involved in any other storyline. This will allow an underused Superstar to work alongside the likes of some of the best talents in the WWE roster. Moreover, it will strengthen the alliance between Bryan and Gulak.
However, if their feud with Zayn and his friend is truly over, then there’s a high chance that Bryan and Gulak will set their sight on the Tag Team division of the Blue brand. We have seen Bryan be a part of Tag Teams in the past and he has been brilliant in that role.
A partnership like this will benefit Gulak and increase his stake on the roster, something that was intended by Bryan when he pitched the idea of two Superstars working together.
#5 Could Tommaso Ciampa make his SmackDown debut?
In the last episode of NXT, we saw Tommaso Ciampa locking horns with his biggest rival, Johnny Gargano. Their match was billed as the final showdown between the two best-friend-turned-enemies and they delivered a fantastic bout. In the end, Gargano prevailed with the help of his wife, Candice LeRae after she attacked Ciampa with a low blow.
The whole point of this match was to establish the fact that the two of them can’t be together in NXT and both of them were determined to show why they belonged to the Black and Gold brand. Even though Ciampa didn’t lose in clean fashion, it is fair to assume that WWE will use this result to bring Ciampa on the main roster.
NXT Superstar Bianca Belair arrived on RAW earlier this week and on SmackDown, we can see Ciampa coming back to SmackDown where he spent a little time last year. Having said that, the fans can be assured that they will see Ciampa and Gargano locking horns somewhere down the line.
But for now, someone like him is needed for brewing fresh, intense rivalries on SmackDown.
