Welcome to another edition of the top SmackDown rumors that could have a major impact on the blue brand. This week, SmackDown gave fans another exciting episode as the story between Roman Reigns and his cousins continues to become more perplexing.
This week on SmackDown, tensions rose even further between Reigns and Jimmy Uso as The Usos failed to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championships from Rey and Dominik Mysterio. The show closed with Reigns beating the Mysterios mercilessly while Jimmy Uso left the ring, disapproving of his cousin's actions.
In today's edition, we will take a look at what the future may hold for Reigns and The Usos, among many other interesting topics related to SmackDown:
#5 SmackDown's Roman Reigns' demands to WWE
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio has revealed some of the demands that Roman Reigns has made from WWE.
In these 'shoot' demands, The Tribal Chief has told WWE that he doesn't want to have matches in the middle of the card. The Head of the Table wants to either open a show or close it:
“You put the most important first or last. That’s the big argument right now with Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns will either go first or last. He won’t go anywhere else, that’s a shoot. He doesn’t want to go (anywhere) but first, because that’s okay, or last, which is preferable because he’s the main event and he doesn’t want to go second or fourth or second from the top,” said Dave Meltzer.
It is interesting to note that while Roman Reigns main-evented WrestleMania 37 and WrestleMania Backlash, he did not close Royal Rumble or TLC.
It had also been reported that Roman Reigns was not initially set to main-event WrestleMania Backlash. However, WWE management felt that Reigns was the marquee player on the card and deserved to close the show. So it looks like WWE will have no qualms in ceding to Reigns' demands.
#4 Brock Lesnar's return feud could be against SmackDown's Roman Reigns
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that Brock Lesnar's return program will likely involve Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns on SmackDown. There has been a lot of speculation regarding when The Beast Incarnate will return and who he will challenge:
''The obvious angle right now for a Lesnar return is a storyline involving Heyman and thus Reigns,'' Meltzer noted.
Though Lesnar was last seen as part of the RAW brand, it is likely that he will return to SmackDown now to have a program with The Tribal Chief. Paul Heyman will play an important role in the program as the Wise Man of WWE was associated with Brock Lesnar before he became the special counsel to Roman Reigns on SmackDown.
#3 Original plans for Aleister Black and Big E on SmackDown
SmackDown Superstar Aleister Black was one of six names released by WWE a few days back. Black had been featured heavily on SmackDown lately and was all set to begin his feud with Big E.
Speaking on his wife Zelina Vega's Twitch stream, Black revealed what he knew about WWE's plans for him and Big E before he was fired:
"No, all I knew is that the plan was for me and (Big) E to go at it. That's it, that's all I knew. It was supposed to kick-off this Friday, and here we are. That's as much as I know," said Aleister Black.
Did WWE make a mistake by releasing Aleister Black? Tell us in the comment section.
#2 Adam Pearce was willing to return for his match against SmackDown's Roman Reigns
WWE official Adam Pearce was on a collision course against SmackDown Superstar Roman Reigns earlier this year. A match between Pearce and The Tribal Chief had been announced for Royal Rumble. However, WWE threw a curveball and the retired Adam Pearce was replaced by Kevin Owens instead.
Although Adam Pearce did take part in a tag-team match teaming with Braun Strowman on RAW this year, it would be wrong to count it as a legitimate in-ring return for the former NWA Champion. He was also the last entrant in a Gauntlet match on SmackDown.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT’s Oliver Browning, Pearce said he was willing to come out of retirement for his match against Roman Reigns:
“If you come to me tomorrow and say, ‘Hey, let’s rewind to the Royal Rumble,’” Pearce said. “If that match was actually going to happen, there is no chance I’d turn that down. That would have been incredible. But it’s not something I ever pushed for or ever expected to happen. It’s not something I aspire to.”
A match between Pearce and Reigns would certainly have been something fresh and the fans would have loved it.
#1 SmackDown's Roman Reigns vs Jimmy Uso not the plan for HIAC
Ever since Jimmy Uso returned to SmackDown a few weeks back, he has become a thorn in the side of Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief was not happy with his cousin trying to pull his right-hand man Jey Uso away from him.
Last year, Roman Reigns defeated Jey Uso in an I Quit match at Hell in a Cell following which Jey Uso allied with Roman Reigns. It was initially believed that history would repeat itself this year and Reigns would take on SmackDown's Jimmy Uso inside Hell in a Cell.
However, Dave Meltzer of WON has noted that there are no plans for a HIAC match between SmackDown's Reigns and Jimmy Uso:
"The Roman Reigns main issue seems to be with Jimmy Uso but we are told that match is not scheduled for the PPV."
It remains to be seen which matches will be chosen to take place inside the Hell in a Cell and who Roman Reigns might face at the show.