Top SmackDown backstage rumors: Management not happy with top Superstar; McMahon's decision on Reigns' situation; Who will Otis challenge as MITB winner? (15th May)

After a splendid Money in the Bank PPV, WWE will look to deliver an entertaining edition of Friday Night SmackDown for the fans. With Otis winning the MITB contract, it will be interesting to see what direction the company decides to go with him.

In today's top backstage rumors we will also see what Vince McMahon thinks of the ongoing situation with Roman Reigns, the reason behind the big change in WWE and much more!

Apart from Roman Reigns who had indicated that he will not be performing due to the COVID-19 situation, another top SmackDown Superstar and current IC Champion Sami Zayn has followed Reigns' footsteps. Let's find out what WWE feels about his decision:

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#5 Backstage heat on Sami Zayn for refusing to return

I disagree with this decision and no matter what anyone says, I am still undefeated and therefore still the Intercontinental Champion. -SZ https://t.co/SUFsBFeRDB

— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) May 13, 2020

The IC Champion Sami Zayn reportedly refused to return to WWE citing the pandemic as the reason. WWE have themselves given all the employees the choice not to come to work if they so feel given the current status of the virus. However, it looks like Zayn's choice of exercising that option has not gone down well with WWE Management:

Here is what Dave Meltzer of The Observer has stated:

Even though nobody can say it publicly for obvious reasons, there is a lot of unhappiness that Zayn exercised the option that they gave everyone regarding not wrestling if you don’t want to right now.

WWE has announced that they will be holding a tournament to crown the next Intercontinental Champion on SmackDown. Sami Zayn replied to this announcement by stating that since he has not been defeated, he is still the IC Champion.

One way WWE could have gone with the storyline would have been to have Zayn hand the title to his teammate Cesaro or Shinsuke Nakamura and taken the Championship back once he returned.

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#4 Vince McMahon's dilemma over Roman Reigns

There had been multiple reports suggesting that Vince McMahon did not want Roman Reigns being mentioned on WWE as the former Universal Champion had opted not to be part of his match at WrestleMania 36 against Goldberg. The reason for The Big Dog's decision was that he did not want any risk to his health, considering the ongoing Coronavirus spread.

Roman Reigns has not been seen on SmackDown since then and surprisingly was even edited out of video packages shown during WWE's on-air television shows. However, as per Dave Meltzer of the Observer, Vince McMahon is highly confused about how to deal with the Roman Reigns situation:

We’re told the reaction by Vince McMahon regarding Reigns and how to handle the situation “changes daily based on which way the wind is blowing,” which is why one day they show him beating HHH on Smackdown, then they edited him off Raw, then they do a Make-a-Wish thing and have no clips of him, then they do an investment conference and Vince McMahon never says his name, and then they have a one hour special on him on FS 1.

It is clear that Roman Reigns will not be returning anytime soon, especially until the pandemic is over. Reigns has been a major part of the company and the fact that his poster was shown during the MITB match at the WWE HQ is indication that the company may be open to talking about him more.

#3 Details regarding who Otis will challenge as MITB holder

Otis surprised everyone when he managed to win the first-ever corporate MITB match, even though he did so in a rather unconvincing fashion.

As the briefcase slipped AJ Styles' hand, it fell right into Otis' hands, thus making him the newest holder of the MITB contract. Imagining Otis as the World Champion is certainly a rather amusing thought and many veterans have even stated that having him become the Universal Champion may not be such a bad idea.

However, there is a hint that Otis might be using his contract to cash-in on the Tag-Team Championships instead.

Here is what Otis had stated during an interview with Digital Spy before MITB took place but after it had already been taped:

If I get the briefcase, we’re challenging for the Tag Team titles. I don’t think there’s a rule of what titles to challenge for, so we’re going to challenge for the Tag Team titles, cash it in and that’s what’s going to happen… if I can get up that ladder.”

However, there is an alternate theory suggesting that Otis may become singles Superstar...

#2 Otis could become a singles Superstar

We just talked about the speculation that WWE may do something unprecedented by having Otis challenge for the Tag Team titles along with his brother Tucker. As per Ryan Satin, however, there is a high chance that Heavy Machinery may be taking a backseat for the MITB holder and he may venture into singles competition.

Here is what Ryan Satin tweeted:

Regarding whether he’ll start wrestling in singles competition now after winning Money in the Bank, Otis says it’s looking that way

Regarding whether he’ll start wrestling in singles competition now after winning Money in the Bank, Otis says it’s looking that way. #WWEBackstage

— Ryan Satin (@ryansatin) May 13, 2020

The SmackDown Superstar was guest on WWE Backstage and insinuated that there is a high chance that he may be making the transition from tag-team action into becoming a singles Superstar.

Even though Otis and Tucker debuted in WWE as a tag-team, Otis has become a major SmackDown Superstar ever since his program with Dolph Ziggler. The MITB holder even had a singles match against The ShowOff at WrestleMania 36.

Now with Mandy Rose by his side, it will be interesting to see which way WWE will go with Otis on SmackDown.

#1 Reason behind Baron Corbin going to RAW

On the latest episode of Monday Night RAW, WWE introduced 'bran to brand' invitation, which essentially means the return of the Wild Card Rule where members of each brand could be part of the other brand as well.

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre will be facing SmackDown Superstar Baron Corbin next week. POST wrestling had revealed that the reason behind this new rule is the falling ratings:

One source indicated that this idea came at the request of the networks. Last week, Raw hit its lowest mark in modern history with 1,686,000 viewers while Friday Night SmackDown has recorded its three lowest figures since launching on Fox over the past three weeks.

Dave Meltzer of WON has also suggested that the idea behind introducing this new rule is to have more top-tier talent on both the shows to get high ratings.

So the other one you do, you add more talent to each roster by ending the brand extension or whatever you want to call it and they've done that many times