WWE SmackDown Preview: Roman Reigns’ next feud, new title rivalry on the cards? (Jan 1st, 2021)

WWE SmackDown deservedly ended the last year as the best show from the promotion. The viewership for last week’s episode was off the charts, and the Blue brand will look to carry the same momentum into 2021. From old feuds to new, there are many opportunities for the creative to make it all the more interesting and kickstart the year on a promising note.

Let’s take a look at things that can unfold on WWE SmackDown this week.

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#1 Roman Reigns’ next feud on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns will look for his next challenger on WWE SmackDown

On last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns locked horns with Kevin Owens in a brutal Steel Cage match. With the help of Jey Uso's interference, The Tribal Chief picked a sly victory and successfully retained his Universal Championship. The creative will now look to explore potential feuds for Reigns on the Blue brand.

Some fans may argue that Kevin Owens might still get a chance to go after the Universal Championship as Reigns did not pick a clean victory over his challenger. While KO certainly deserves to stay in the title picture a little longer, it is also important to note that both Superstars locked horns twice last month. Thus, the creative might want to look at a new rivalry on WWE SmackDown.

We also saw Daniel Bryan pick a win over Jey Uso on WWE SmackDown and avenge the brutal beatdown he was handed by the latter on Roman Reigns’ command. Now, Bryan could take his issues with Roman Reigns, who forced Jey Uso to turn heel. It will be interesting to see if both these Superstars will be booked in a feud on WWE SmackDown.

Bryan has openly stated that he wants to win a championship, and he could set his sights on Roman Reigns’ title. An intense storyline involving Bryan will be huge for Reigns, who will most probably retain his championship by the end of the same. It could turn into a critical rivalry ahead of Royal Rumble, something that WWE SmackDown will need in the next four weeks.

Roman Reigns has been nothing short of brilliant ever since he turned heel. He is cruel with his plans and has shown no remorse when it comes to executing them with perfection, even though he has mostly relied on Jey Uso for help. We hope that he will continue with the same momentum on WWE SmackDown as we step into a new year.

#2 Sasha Banks’ new challenger for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship

A good feud in the making

Sasha Banks has had a fairly decent run as the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion so far. She defeated her best-friend turned enemy for the title, successfully defended her gold against the same, and then, she was engaged in a feud with Carmella, who recently returned on the Blue brand. Now Banks will look for her next challenger on WWE SmackDown.

Given the recent booking of the women’s division on WWE SmackDown, it is expected that Bianca Belair will be Banks’ next challenger. Last week, they aligned forces to face Charlotte Flair and Asuka with their tag team championships on the line. The match also featured the team of Bayley and Carmella.

Charlotte Flair retained the titles for her team after pinning Bianca Belair, which could now spark a feud between her and Sasha Banks. WWE SmackDown have a done a lot to push Belair over the last few month and she could soon challenge for the coveted prize of the Blue brand. It will be interesting to see what’s in store for both women on the Blue brand. For now, both Banks and Belair will team up to go up face Bayley and Carmella tonight.

#3 Dominik Mysterio and Murphy return to action on WWE SmackDown

We need this alliance inside the ring

The alliance between Dominik Mysterio and Murphy appears to be strong on WWE SmackDown. They are both excellent performers, and Dominik Mysterio has had a very promising start to his WWE career. All of this makes us wonder why they are missing from the television. Could tonight be the night that we will finally see them involved in a match?

Murphy and Dominik Mysterio have the potential to compete in the tag team division of WWE SmackDown. It is evident that the Blue brand needs new teams to step up and pose a serious challenge for the tag team gold. The creative can undoubtedly rely on both Dominik Mysterio and Murphy to deliver accordingly and emerge as promising names in the division.

Murphy has already held the tag team titles before, and he can do it again. Dominik Mysterio is good inside the ring, and he will certainly compliment Murphy. An intense storyline involving a great partnership and a shocking betrayal will work out well for both these Superstars on WWE SmackDown. We have to see them involved in compelling rivalries as we move on.

#4 What’s next for The Street Profits on WWE SmackDown?

Street Profits deserve to be involved in a couple of good feuds

The Street Profits were arguably the best tag team in WWE last year. They dominated RAW before being drafted to WWE SmackDown. Following that, they held on to their tag team titles tightly and established themselves as the dominant champions on the Blue brand. The Street Profits also defeated The New Day in an epic match, and even Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods ended up showing their respect for their opponents.

Most recently, Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford successfully defended their titles against Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. They will now look for new challenges as we step into another year. The reigning WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions were indeed the breakout Superstars in 2020, and will they will want to continue with the same momentum this year.

It’s no secret that the tag team division in WWE is currently struggling to generate compelling feuds. That said, there are a lot of possibilities that can be explored on WWE SmackDown. We might soon see The Street Profits stumble across the new No. 1 contenders for the tag team championships on WWE SmackDown.

#5 Big E kickstarts his Intercontinental Championship reign on WWE SmackDown

Big E deserves a good title reign on WWE SmackDown

On the final show of WWE SmackDown last year, Big E and Sami Zayn locked horns with the latter’s Intercontinental Championship on the line. Their Lumberjack match saw the babyfaces and heels surround the ring and play their respective roles in this in-ring battle. Ultimately, Big E prevailed and ended the show with the IC title resting on his shoulders.

The fans have huge expectations from this much-awaited title reign of Big E on WWE SmackDown. This title win is the most significant opportunity that he has received ever since he started his singles run on the Blue brand. He is now expected to have a dominant run on the Blue brand that will eventually help the creative push him into the world title picture.

Overall, this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown looks promising. Although there won’t be any title changes this week, we will certainly see the new big challengers step up their game. Moreover, we will also have a better look at Superstars who will get a push ahead of this year’s Royal Rumble.