WWE SmackDown Preview: Roman Reigns’ big contract signing, heel turn on the cards? (Jan 15th, 2021)

We are all set for this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. So far, three things have been confirmed for the show – a big contract signing for a title match at Royal Rumble and two revenge matches. However, there’s still a lot more that can happen on the show, especially with Royal Rumble right around the corner. From old rivalries to new, a lot can change in the next few weeks.

In this article, we will discuss things that can unfold on WWE SmackDown this week. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#1 Roman Reigns and Adam Pearce set for Universal title contract signing on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns is more than ready for his next challenger

Last week on WWE SmackDown, a Gauntlet match was held to determine the No. 1 contender for Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship. Prior to that, The Tribal Chief had found out that it was Adam Pearce who allowed Kevin Owens to go after Jey Uso earlier this month. Enraged with Pearce’s decision to go over his head, Reigns placed an unsolicited target on the official’s back.

Roman Reigns, alongside Paul Heyman and Jey Uso, bullied Pearce throughout the episode. Finally, in the main event of WWE SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura had just managed to beat all his opponents. However, before he could celebrate his impressive victory, Roman Reigns decided to run an interference.

Roman Reigns had ensured that Adam Pearce was inserted into this match. The latter was then beaten up and then put over Nakamura that led to Pearce’s eventual victory. It did come as a shock to see the creative leaning towards Adam Pearce as Roman Reigns’ next challenger. That said, the two are now set to lock horns at Royal Rumble for the Universal Championship.

As confirmed by WWE SmackDown, both Reigns and Pearce will sign the contract for their title match on tonight’s episode. Given the recent history of the champion, one can certainly expect that there will be a few surprise attacks in store for the WWE official. Moreover, we might know the details behind Reigns’ decision to choose Pearce as his next challenger.

It is possible that we will see the return of Kevin Owens on WWE SmackDown. It will certainly make an interesting angle if KO decides to show up and interfere during the contract signing. We could also see Shinsuke Nakamura demand another shot at the title as he was unfairly eliminated from the challenge.

#2 Apollo Crews finally turns heel on WWE SmackDown

A heel turn looks inevitable here

Apollo Crews recently had a chance to challenge Big E for the Intercontinental Championship on WWE SmackDown. Their match came to an abrupt ending when both Superstars were simultaneously pinned. As a result, both Crews and Big E locked horns in another match, and the latter managed to retain his championship.

Following their match, Crews ended up slapping Big E and teased a possible heel turn on WWE SmackDown. He believes that he won the title but was not given the gold. It is expected that he will continue his title feud with Big E on tonight’s episode. It is quite possible that we will see this rivalry extend to the Royal Rumble later this month.

Following last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Crews was a guest on Talking Smack. During his appearance on the talk show, Paul Heyman went above and beyond to portray Crews as a star. The former IC Champion deserves to be involved in a compelling storyline involving the title. Hopefully, he will get the same on WWE SmackDown over the coming weeks.

#3 Who would be the next challenger for Sasha Banks’ WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship?

Sasha Banks will look for a new challenge

Recently on WWE SmackDown, we have seen Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair form an alliance to take on Bayley and Carmella. Both Bayley and Carmella are not fond of Sasha Banks and want to take the title away from her. But Banks has found a reliable backup in Bianca Belair as the creative have decided to invest a lot more time in the tag team division.

That said, it is expected that Bianca Belair would be the next serious challenger for Sasha Banks’ WWE SmackDown Championship. The latter has already defended her title against the likes of Bayley and Carmella, and she is now looking desperate for a new competition. Not to forget, backstage rumors suggest that Belair is expected to win this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble match.

While Sasha Banks is one of the best performers on WWE SmackDown, she could certainly use a couple of good feuds to gain momentum on the Road to WrestleMania. It will be interesting to see what’s in store for the women’s champion of the Blue brand as we inch closer to one of the biggest WWE pay-per-views of the year.

#4 Rey Mysterio looks for payback against King Corbin on WWE SmackDown

Rey Mysterio will have a lot on his mind

Last week on WWE SmackDown, King Corbin brutally attacked both Dominik and Rey Mysterio. Tonight, the latter is preparing to seek his revenge against one of the biggest heels on the Blue brand. It would be safe to assume that Dominik Mysterio will be present on the ringside when his father locks horns with Corbin inside the ring.

In addition to Dominik Mysterio, we could also see Murphy and Aalyah Mysterio make an appearance on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. This would help Rey Mysterio in neutralizing the threats from The Knights of the Lone Wolf who leave no stone unturned in helping Corbin during his matches. It could also lead to a six-man tag team match.

Corbin was recently involved in a brawl with Murphy when the Mysterio family helped him gain a victory. Could we see something similar happen once again? If not, then WWE SmackDown will look to book an extended rivalry between Rey Mysterio and Corbin on the Blue brand in the coming months.

#5 What’s next for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions?

This feud could continue on WWE SmackDown

On last week's episode of WWE SmackDown, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode defeated Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford to win the tag team championships. Given that they continued attacking the former champions, we expect that this title rivalry between both the teams will extend over a few weeks. WWE could also have them lock horns at the Royal Rumble.

Both Dawkins and Ford had a great run with the tag team titles. They lost their gold to Ziggler and Roode who have started to look much better on WWE SmackDown in the recent past. The creative might not want to take the title away from them just yet. In addition to that, the lack of other stronger teams on the Blue brand suggests that this feud is here to stay.

Overall, this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown looks promising so far. Between good matches and great segments, the two-hour show could be highly entertaining for the fans. The Blue brand has created a new reputation around its show over the last couple of months and will look to live up to those expectations.