31-year-old free agent to join The Bloodline? 4 questions WWE SmackDown must tackle from Royal Rumble 2024 to kick off the Road to WrestleMania 40
WWE SmackDown after Royal Rumble 2024 kicks off the blue brand's Road to WrestleMania 40 from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. After a Rumble event where the buzz was mainly dominated by RAW Superstars, the Friday night show will be looking to establish momentum heading to Elimination Chamber and The Show of Shows.
SmackDown Superstars like Roman Reigns, Bayley, and Kevin Owens, who made a splash at Tropicana Field will all feature on the show. NXT stars Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, and Trick Williams are also expected at the show, while free agents like Jade Cargill and Naomi could make statements of intent as well. The blue brand will be stacked, making it must-see for the WWE Universe.
It will also be a must-see for fans with SmackDown-centric questions arising from the 2024 Rumble.
Here are four of the biggest questions facing the blue brand on its first outing post-Royal Rumble 2024
#4. What's next for United States Champion Logan Paul on WWE SmackDown?
Logan Paul successfully retained the United States Championship at WWE Royal Rumble 2024, surviving Kevin Owens by disqualification. The finish to that title match was one of the most creative the company has done in a long time, and it ensured that The Maverick's reign continued while protecting KO immaculately.
Now that Paul has stumbled past his first hurdle as champion, what's next? Is he now officially in a stable with Grayson Waller and Austin Theory, who helped him retain? Is he done with Owens, or will The Prize Fighter get a rematch? Will a new challenger emerge to threaten his throne? Will it be just one or multiple, leading to an Elimination Chamber or multi-man WrestleMania ladder match?
#3. Which personnel changes will take effect on WWE SmackDown after the events of Royal Rumble week?
The landscape of WWE changed at Royal Rumble 2024 with some massive debuts and returns in both 30-person matches. Jade Cargill, Naomi, Liv Morgan, Andrade, and Sami Zayn all surprised fans at the event, with the latter two committing to RAW two days later. Will Naomi, Cargill, and Morgan join the SmackDown women's division?
Another potential move that was teased over Rumble weekend was Bron Breakker to SmackDown. Will Nick Aldis land arguably the most promising young star in the company on his show? What about Carmelo Hayes, who has made a string of impressive appearances on the blue brand recently, or Trick Williams, who received a massive pop in his debut showing on the Friday show?
Perhaps most importantly, who will replace the recently let-go Kevin Patrick in the commentary booth? It will be very exciting to see what personnel changes take place on the blue brand, especially who will be the new voice of the show.
#2. What is Damage CTRL's path to WrestleMania 40 on WWE SmackDown?
Damage CTRL was arguably the biggest winner of the Royal Rumble 2024 weekend. In the space of two days, the faction added the tag team titles and a Royal Rumble win to the WWE Women's Championship already in their ranks. However, this may have also been the beginning of their future implosion, and this could come to the fore on WWE SmackDown.
With Rhea Ripley being targeted by everyone from Nia Jax to Becky Lynch, what's stopping Bayley from turning her guns on IYO Sky? How will The Role Model's new golden opportunity affect the already simmering tension between her and the rest of the group? Away from the Rumble winner, which tag team will step up to the Kabuki Warriors on the blue brand?
Damage CTRL is arguably the most compelling faction in the company today, and will face more than its fair share of questions on Friday night.
#1. What do Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns wanna talk about on WWE SmackDown?
For the second year in a row, Cody Rhodes is the Men's Royal Rumble winner. And for the second year in a row, unless Seth Rollins' passionate plea on RAW brings about a miracle, Rhodes looks set to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. The American Nightmare and Tribal Chief are both advertised for WWE SmackDown, and are expected to cross paths.
Will The Grandson of a Plumber, as expected, choose to pursue a Show of Shows rematch with The Head of the Table? Did The Visionary's "blue collar" speech change his mind? If the challenge is issued, will Reigns accept it or try to "politick" his way out of it? How will The Bloodline factor into this? What if, crazy idea, The Rock or free agent Jacob Fatu show up?
All eyes will be on the Men's Royal Rumble winner and WWE Champion.