3 WWE SmackDown stars who may get a Universal Title shot this year and 2 who may not
Roman Reigns is currently atop the SmackDown mountain, with his run as Universal Champion nowhere near its finishing point.
The Tribal Chief has been dominant during his 250 days with the title and his pay-per-view track record during this reign has been stellar. Almost every match of his has delivered as the best match on its respective show, owing to the high level of storytelling and inspired choice of opponents.
Reigns has defeated some of SmackDown's biggest stars, including Daniel Bryan and Kevin Owens. Cesaro could be next on that list after his Universal Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.
The match will be great, but the result isn't in any doubt. Roman Reigns will likely stand tall over the valiant European. This could be the case with pretty much every match Reigns has for the Universal Title this year, with his reign possibly extending until WrestleMania 38.
WWE should limit all of Roman Reigns' feuds to a single pay-per-view match, to allow the SmackDown main event scene to constantly remain fresh. This way, more Superstars can get the rub of facing the biggest star in recent WWE history while not losing too many matches against him.
While some potential challengers could step up to The Tribal Chief on SmackDown, a few popular names might not get the opportunity to. This list will only focus on current full-time stars on the blue brand so don't expect Brock Lesnar or Edge, both of whom could challenge Reigns later this year.
Here are three SmackDown Superstars who may get a Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns this year, and two who may not.
#5 Jimmy Uso's return on SmackDown may have planted the seeds for a future Universal Title match
Jimmy Uso made his return on this week's Throwback edition of SmackDown, having missed over a year of action due to a knee injury. He joined up with his brother, Jey, alongside Roman Reigns. But there seems to be some tension brewing within the family.
The returning Uso stood up to his dominant cousin and threatened to leave the "family" but before he could do so, Cesaro took both Usos and Reigns out. This issue could be an underlying story on SmackDown for a few months before Jimmy finally snaps and challenges The Tribal Chief to a Universal Championship match.
It could happen as soon as WWE's next pay-per-view, or this story could be played out towards a conclusion during the fall of this year. Either way, we may see Jimmy Uso get a Universal Title shot against Roman Reigns in the coming months.
The feud would play out similarly to Jey Uso's pursuit of his cousin's belt last year, with the added tension of The Usos possibly conspiring against Reigns. Of course, following this match, Jimmy would fall in line and become a proper part of The Bloodline.