5 Talking Points from WWE SmackDown (15th January 2021) - A big cop-out in the Universal Championship picture, possible heel turn
The latest episode of SmackDown has turned a potentially riveting storyline into a predictable one. With Adam Pearce all set to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at Royal Rumble 2021 after last week's episode, a major turn of events saw him being replaced on medical grounds.
On the other hand, Daniel Bryan and Cesaro wrestled a tremendous bout that witnessed a genuinely shocking ending. Apollo Crews has seemingly turned to the dark side after aligning with Roman Reigns. Apart from this, Shinsuke Nakamura continued his new face run by accumulating a win over Jey Uso, and King Corbin dominantly defeated Rey Mysterio.
Women got the short-handed treatment as the SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks and Carmella appeared only in a backstage segment. Bayley and Bianca Belair had a disappointing segment while Liv Morgan and Natalya wrestled a meaningless bout.
That said, let's discuss all the major points from this week's WWE SmackDown that has gotten the fans buzzing. Do share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
#5 Adam Pearce announces Kevin Owens as his replacement on SmackDown for the Universal Championship clash against Roman Reigns
In one of the most baffling booking decisions in recent memory on SmackDown, the Universal Championship picture has taken a complete U-turn with Kevin Owens emerging as the challenger for Roman Reigns' title at Royal Rumble 2021.
Earlier in the show, Paul Heyman approached Adam Pearce and told him that the Universal Championship at the pay-per-view is now a No-DQ match. However, Reigns quickly changed his mind and said he would want the bout to be a Last Man Standing match. Pearce relented, and thus a contract signing segment was announced as the main event of the night.
Saying that he's medically unclear to compete, Pearce used his authority to choose his replacement. Kevin Owens made his way out, and now he would face Reigns for the championship for the third time in a row.
It's hard to get excited about this one. Yes, Owens and Reigns are two exceptional performers who wrestled back-to-back incredible bouts, but there's a little chance that Owens ends up victorious at Royal Rumble.
Last week's Gauntlet match and the story with Pearce has seemingly become inconsequential. The decision to replace Pearce as the challenger seems to be a big cop-out after the mixed reactions from fans for last week's developments on SmackDown. Though it was strange, it was audacious and could have resulted in an interesting match-up.