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Welcome to another edition of the top SmackDown rumors that could impact the blue brand. SmackDown created history this week by having its first-ever Hell in a Cell match. Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against Rey Mysterio inside the demonic structure.
However, the match was initially slated to take place at Hell in a Cell. It was a last-minute change of plans that led to the match being removed from the pay-per-view. We will be talking about why that happened in today's article.
Plus, this article will also take a look at the possibility of a former champion being repackaged, what's next for Universal Champion Roman Reigns and much more.
#5 Mystery surrounding Roman Reigns vs Rey Mysterio being moved to SmackDown last-minute
Roman Reigns successfully defended the Universal Championship against Rey Mysterio on SmackDown this week. However, the match was originally set to take place at Hell in a Cell this Sunday.
WWE's decision to move the match from pay-per-view to SmackDown came as a bit of a surprise to everyone. As per Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there had been a backstage meeting where it was decided to put the match on SmackDown. As of now, there are no plans for Roman Reigns to be part of the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view:
"The word we were told is that you can’t describe why, there were just a bunch of discussions on Thursday and the discussions ended up with 'Let’s do it on Smackdown.' As of press time, the plans were for Reigns to not be wrestling on the pay-per-view,'' said Meltzer.
With Roman Reigns vs Rey Mysterio not taking place at Hell in a Cell on Sunday, Bianca Belair vs Bayley will replace them as SmackDown's Hell in a Cell match. Check out the possible spoilers regarding who will win the match at Hell in a Cell here.
#4 Baron Corbin could be repackaged on SmackDown
This week on SmackDown, Baron Corbin lost his match against Shinsuke Nakamura. It was no ordinary match, however. The winner would be able to keep the King of the Ring crown and become the new 'king' of SmackDown.
Baron Corbin losing clean to Shinsuke Nakamura has been questioned as a poor decision as it could hamper Corbin's rising to the top. However, Wade Keller of PWTorch has stated that Corbin losing the crown will likely lead to him getting repackaged:
''Corbin losing clean to Nakamura isn’t great for his perception as a potential top act on Smackdown, but it’s a fair trade off if he drops the King Corbin gimmick and repackages himself a bit,'' said Keller.
#3 Edge advertised for a SmackDown return
The Rated-R Superstar Edge is set to make his return to SmackDown on the September 3rd episode. Fightful have reported that The Fiend has been advertised to return to RAW on August 9 whereas WWE Hall of Famer Edge has been advertised for a SmackDown return in September:
"The Fiend is advertised for the August 9 Raw. Edge is advertised for the September 3 Smackdown. Both from on sale ticketing promo material."
There have been reports saying Edge is booked for SummerSlam this year. It will be interesting to see what WWE has in store for Edge when he finally makes his return after being out since WrestleMania 37.
#2 John Cena to face SmackDown Superstar Roman Reigns at SummerSlam
With Rey Mysterio taken out on SmackDown this week, it will be interesting to see who Roman Reigns feuds with next. As per Jon Alba of Spectrum Sports 360, John Cena is set for a return soon to face Roman Reigns at SummerSlam:
"I can confirm, after speaking with multiple sources, Roman Reigns vs. John Cena is the targeted main event at this moment," wrote Alba.
John Cena himself has hinted on a few occasions that he will be returning to WWE soon. However, the exact time of Cena's return is not known at this time. While Cena is locked in to face SmackDown's Universal Champion at SummerSlam, the question remains: who does Reigns feud with next?
#1 Paul Heyman lays out an open challenge for SmackDown superstars
The Tribal Chief has already vanquished names such as Jey Uso, Kevin Owens, Rey Mysterio, Daniel Bryan and Edge ever since he caught hold of the Universal Championship. With John Cena possibly returning for a feud with Reigns, the Tribal Chief will have his hands full at SummerSlam.
But before that happens, Reigns' special counsel, Paul Heyman, has given an open invitation to the SmackDown roster to try and step up to The Big Dog next week. Here's what Heyman said on Talking Smack:
"Here's the good news. This coming Friday on SmackDown, Roman Reigns' dance card is open. So who wants to make a go of it? Who wants to take their chances this Friday in not acknowledging your Tribal Chief Roman Reigns? Because that, ladies and gentlemen, is where the suffering begins."
Who do you think will grab the opportunity and try to come face-to-face with The Head of The Table? Let us know below.
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