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SmackDown has been giving fans regular entertainment and a great dose of fun even during these tough times. In today's edition of the big SmackDown rumors, we will talk about the possibility of former Champion Drew Gulak possibly returning to WWE.
Other than that, we will also take a look at what the future holds for The Big Dog Roman Reigns and what WWE has planned with him being absent from SmackDown. Apart from that, we have other backstage rumors that you need to know which could have a major impact on the Blue brand.
So without any further ado, let us jump right in:
#5 Drew Gulak is reportedly set to return on SmackDown
Former Cruiserweight Champion Drew Gulak had left WWE after his contract expired a few weeks back. Gulak was last seen in a match against his on-screen partner Daniel Bryan during the IC Tournament.
It came as a surprise that the Superstar had decided to not continue with the company as he had been getting a lot of screen time and a push ever since he associated himself with former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. It was reported that WWE was very happy with the way Gulak had conducted himself and wanted to bring him back.
As per multiple reports, Gulak may have re-signed with the company and was a part of the SmackDown tapings. Here is what Cageside Seats stated:
Multiple sites reported Drew Gulak is working this week’s SmackDown tapings as it looks like he re-signed with WWE. He’s been added back to WWE.com’s roster page (he had been moved to the alumni section).
SportsKeeda's Tom Colohue had earlier stated that WWE was very happy that Gulak did not leak the information of his contract ending to drive up his price - something a lot of the Superstars have been doing lately.
They are very happy that news of his contract ending didn't get leaked until after it happened to anyone as is the case with almost everyone else.
#4 Reported reason why Superstars wanted to join SmackDown
AJ Styles has been moved to SmackDown recently, and we will discuss the exact reason for that move later in the article. However, before we get to that, it is interesting to note that while AJ Styles was on SmackDown during his first stint, multiple Superstars had asked to move to the Blue brand in order to work with The Phenomenal One.
As per reports from SportsKeeda's Tom Colohue, there are many Superstars who want to work with AJ Styles - and many of them had asked Vince McMahon and Triple H to be moved to SmackDown.
A lot of people really want to work with AJ Styles. One of the reasons so many people wanted to move over to SmackDown when he was there was to work with AJ Styles.
He further added that many Superstars had requested the move:
Triple H, Vince McMahon got a lot of requests to move to SmackDown when Styles was on that brand.
So maybe one of the reasons behind Styles' move could be so that more Superstars get an opportunity to work with him
#3 Speculation on WWE's future plans without Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns has not been seen on SmackDown ever since he pulled out of his WrestleMania 36 match against Goldberg. The reason why The Big Dog decided not to take part in performing for WWE was because his wife had delivered twins and he wanted to stay at home and support the family.
Roman Reigns has decided to remain away as he has an obligation towards his family and wants to ensure that everybody remains safe, especially considering the prevalent circumstances. While Roman Reigns will eventually be back in WWE, the bad news is that the company isn't expecting the former WWE Champion back anytime soon.
Here is what SportsKeeda's Tom Colohue has said:
After he chose not to return to the company and compete at WrestleMania, and of course, the weeks advancing, the WWE has since then have been creating storylines without factoring him in at all. I have been told and I quote, 'The WWE is preparing for a future without Roman Reigns.'
He further added that this doesn't mean that Reigns' future in the company is under threat, just that WWE creative has been told to develop stories without The Big Dog in mind.
#2 Reported reason why AJ Styles was moved to SmackDown
The rules regarding the company's brand-split have started becoming unclear yet again. While the RAW and SmackDown rosters are different and separate teams are in-charge of the shows, the company recently added an 'invitation' clause which allowed Superstars from one brand to appear on the other.
However, last week AJ Styles was moved to SmackDown from RAW, much like the new US Champion Apollo Crews got traded to RAW from SmackDown last month. Here is what Cageside Seats have stated as the reason behind AJ Styles' move:
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer mentioned that AJ Styles was traded to SmackDown because WWE couldn’t limit him to only four appearances on the blue brand, which is the rule for brand-to-brand invitations.
AJ Styles has been one of the most important members of the SmackDown roster since the brand split started in 2016. The Phenomenal One dubbed the Blue brand as the 'house that AJ Styles built,' so it is fitting that he has returned to SmackDown after a stint on RAW.
#1 Changed plans for Bayley vs Sasha Banks at SummerSlam
As per WrestleTalk, the original plan WWE had for Sasha Banks and Bayley was for the two of them to clash at SummerSlam. One of the reasons behind the decision was to have Sasha Banks get a babyface pop from her hometown crowd in Boston.
However, with the venues likely to get changed because of the coronavirus pandemic, it looks like WWE is planning to delay the big match between the two 'best friends'. Here is what Cageside Seats had stated:
WWE was planning on running Sasha Banks vs. Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s title at SummerSlam, according to WrestleTalk. But now they’re considering extending the feud. Part of the reason for delaying is because Sasha was going to be the face, and WWE wanted a huge pop in her hometown of Boston.
While The Boss and The Role Model have been friends for a long time on-screen, there have been some rifts between the two of late. This had led fans to believe that the two will face each other at WrestleMania or SummerSlam in a huge match. But the plans have been delayed for now and it looks like WWE want to have this match only when live audience returns.
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