The era of Wyatt was kick-started at the Elimination Chamber when Bray Wyatt won the WWE championship.
With Randy Orton being the winner of Royal Rumble, and the association between Bray and Orton being one of the major storylines on the SmackDown roster, things seemed predictable heading to WrestleMania. But WWE managed to pull off a major swerve with Orton refusing to take the title shot against Bray.
A battle royal was booked last week to decide the new contender and it also ended in controversy leading to more twists in the tale. After the ambiguous ending that WWE pulled off last week, this week’s SmackDown will have many questions to answer.
In this preview, we take a look at the possible storyline developments that might happen on SmackDown Live.
#5 The new champion
In a shocking turn of events, Naomi was forced to relinquish her title last week on SmackDown. The 30-day title defence rules were thrown into the mix unnecessarily once again and this time around, it was Naomi that proved to be the victim.
After she vacated the title, SmackDown had a match to decide the new champion in which Alexa Bliss came out on top.
Alexa is once again on top of the division and her immediate contender is indeed Becky Lynch. The influence of Mickie James in the feud is also something worth noting as the veteran still has a lot to contribute to the company.
#4 Drawing the battle lines
All eyes are not pointed towards the on-going feud between John Cena and The Miz. At the Battle Royal last week, Miz and Cena drew battle lines. Initially, Cena eliminated Miz and it was followed by Miz costing Cena a potential chance to face the WWE champion.
Maryse had attacked Nikki Bella during the Falls count anywhere match that she had against Natalya after Natalya had pushed Nikki onto Maryse backstage.
The Miz – Maryse pair going up against the Cena – Nikki pair is something that was speculated for a long time and finally, it seems set to happen. This week around, Cena would be the special guest for the latest edition of Miz TV and with what happened last week around, we can expect fireworks.
#3 Tag team feud in the build
American Alpha got the better of Breezango last week on SmackDown.
After their huge win in the Tag Team Turmoil match at Elimination Chamber, this was a good way for American Alpha to cool down and transition into their next feud. In the post-match segments, the Usos made their intentions clear and a two-on-two feud between these two teams looks like a real possibility heading forward.
WWE is giving the Usos a good push and the brothers getting some screen time would be necessary to push the storyline forward. The picture will be clearer this week around and if it is indeed a two-on-two feud, then WWE needs to make it clear what they will do with the other teams as well.
#2 The Randy Orton factor
Randy Orton might’ve refused to take the title shot against his master, but that does not mean that Orton is completely out of the picture.
With the opportunity that he has, Orton is a volcano waiting to erupt and when WWE does pull the plug, it will be a memorable moment. But the way in which Orton refused to take the title shot has left the fans confused.
WWE will have to come up with a big reason to make Orton turn against Wyatt. And if WWE do not have any plans to turn Orton against his current master, then finding a new feud for the Viper would be necessary.
#1 Deciding a contender
Last week, the Battle Royal to decide the new contender for WWE championship ended in controversy.
Luke Harper and AJ Styles had a dispute on who had the shot at Bray Wyatt and to make things clear, Daniel Bryan went on to book a number one contenders match between Harper and Styles this week.
The match is bound to be an exciting one for the fans and with so much at stake, WWE will be pushing it hard throughout the night. The rise of Luke Harper into the main event scene is refreshing and surprising at the same time and a match against AJ Styles will elevate him further towards the top.
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