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After wrapping up 2020 with decent episodes of RAW and NXT, WWE kicked off the new year with an action-packed edition of Friday Night SmackDown. If the recent shows are an indication of what's to come this year, fans might be in store for an eventful 2021.
Like every other week, there were numerous exciting segments, matches, and storyline developments that were the talking point. It's highly likely that several fans who stopped watching WWE will be back during the road to Royal Rumble 2021 and WrestleMania 37.
Therefore, it's crucial for WWE to do everything in their power to convince those fans to stick around after the Show of Shows. And one way to achieve that is by treating the talented performers on the roster like the Superstars they are.
A plethora of Superstars got to shine during this week of WWE programming. So, let's take a look at the five best performers.
#5 Carmella (Pinned WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks)
Ever since Carmella made her return, the WWE Universe for her new persona and improved in-ring skills. After Sasha Banks defeated her at TLC 2020, it looked as if Carmella would be pushed down the card to make way for a new contender to step up.
However, the first-ever Women's Money in the Bank winner made it clear this past Friday that she wasn't going anywhere. On the latest edition of WWE SmackDown, Carmella teamed up with Bayley to take on the team of Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair.
Even though it appeared as if The Boss and the EST of WWE would walk away with the win, Carmella's loyal sommelier provided the required distraction for his boss to put away The Boss with the Mellabuster. And thus, Carmella pinned the SmackDown Women's Champion on the first WWE show of 2021.
#4 Bobby Lashley (Led The Hurt Business to a dominant victory on the final WWE RAW of 2020)
Over the last few years, WWE has received criticism for not booking their secondary titleholders strong. A prime example of this is how such champions often lose non-title matches on a regular basis. However, this hasn't been the case at all with the current United States Champion, Bobby Lashley.
The CEO of The Hurt Business has been on a roll ever since joining forces with MVP in May 2020. And so far, his run as the United States Champion has been nothing short of impressive.
This past week on WWE RAW, The Hurt Business, in its full strength, squared off against the star-studded team of Riddle, Jeff Hardy, and The New Day. What turned out to be a competitive match ended with Lashley making Jeff Hardy tap out to The Hurt Lock.
Apart from that, The Destroyer officially announced his entry into the 2021 Royal Rumble match. Expect Bobby Lashley to look dominant, just like he did on RAW, on the road to WWE Royal Rumble 2021.
#3 Alexa Bliss (Confronted Randy Orton on WWE RAW)
The feud between Randy Orton and 'The Fiend' Bray Wyatt is getting crazier with every passing week. The two are rumored to collide in a Firefly Fun House match at WWE Royal Rumble 2021. But it's not just these two who are contributing to the development of this rivalry.
In fact, Alexa Bliss has been an integral part of this saga and she proved this on the last WWE RAW of 2020. It goes without saying that Alexa Bliss wasn't a fan of what Randy Orton did to her friend, The Fiend, at WWE TLC 2020.
So, on the latest episode of WWE RAW, Bliss confronted Randy Orton and dared The Viper to do what he did to The Fiend. To say that the five-time Women's Champion nailed her performance in the segment would be an understatement.
Whether Randy Orton set The Fiend's accomplice on fire or not will be answered this Monday. But what can be said for sure is that Alexa Bliss has a lot more left to say and do in this rivalry.
#2 Kevin Owens (Won in the main event of the first WWE SmackDown of 2021)
The WWE Universe is clamoring for a third match between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens, even though they have already wrestled twice over the last two weeks. The reason behind it is this rivalry getting better with every passing week.
During the opening segment of WWE SmackDown, Kevin Owens expressed his disappointment towards Roman Reigns' recent actions and challenged Jey Uso to a match that he forced Adam Pearce to sanction.
The match main evented the first WWE SmackDown of 2021. During the bout, the Prizefighter unleashed his wrath on Jey Uso for costing him not one but two opportunities to claim the Universal Championship.
Owens ended up winning the said match with a Stunner. However, the action didn't stop there as the former Universal Champion continued attacking Jey Uso in order to lure Roman Reigns out.
Even though he wasn't standing tall when the cameras stopped rolling, Kevin Owens played an impactful role on the first WWE SmackDown of 2021.
#1 Keith Lee (Secured a WWE Championship shot for the first WWE RAW of 2021)
Despite being on the main roster for less than six months, Keith Lee has already wrestled some biggest names on RAW. This Monday, he will challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship.
But to secure his spot as the #1 contender for the title. Keith Lee had to defeat Sheamus. And on the last Monday Night RAW of 2020, The Limitless One did just that.
The rivalry between Sheamus and Keith Lee had been brewing for the last couple of months. For starters, Lee expressed concern over Sheamus potentially planning to betray Drew McIntyre.
Moreover, The Celtic Warrior laid out the former NXT Champion with a Brogue Kick a week prior. So, toppling the 2012 Royal Rumble winner was important for Keith Lee for many reasons. And the fact that he was able to avenge the Brogue Kick and earn a WWE Championship match at the same time makes Keith Lee the best WWE performer this week.
