5 Things WWE Subtly told us on SmackDown: Unexpected new challenger for Roman Reigns, Former US Champion finally turning heel for the first time?
Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown. It was an interesting episode, although it wasn't particularly packed and stacked from top to bottom.
A special shoutout goes to Sami Zayn, who appeared in numerous segments throughout the show and even interacted with the newcomers such as Aliyah and Hit Row.
Can @SamiZayn show #HitRow how to make a "proper" entrance???
#SmackDown @swerveconfident @AJFrancis410 @TheeAdonisWWE https://t.co/CuC0mEKPIF
Zayn's "locker room leader" shtick has been hilarious to watch, and it's good to see him continuing as an integral part of the Blue brand. Looking at the other aspects of the show, here are some things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown this week:
#5. What did the "bend the knee" storyline on SmackDown have to do with Survivor Series?
"If you show up next week, I'll show you what a King looks like."
#SmackDown @WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @AustinCreedWins @TrueKofi https://t.co/NNA4l5mgOn
It was another week of SmackDown, and so far, WWE has seemingly refused to begin the build towards Survivor Series 2021. Given that it's the fourth-most important pay-per-view of the year (supposedly), there should be more emphasis on building the champion vs. champion matches as well as the traditional elimination bouts.
This week, the main event was King Woods vs. Jimmy Uso. The stipulation was that if Woods won, Jimmy Uso would have to bend the knee to him. If Jimmy won, King Woods would have to acknowledge Roman Reigns.
This led to a fun main event. Throughout the show, Reigns was tense and constantly threatening The Usos, asking how many times he had to clean up their mess. Next week could be even tenser, as King Woods walked out with the victory.
JIMMY USO HAS TO BEND THE KNEE! 😮
#SmackDown @WWEUsos @AustinCreedWins https://t.co/mdGoUCBT3n
While Jimmy Uso was about to bend the knee, Roman Reigns came out and attacked the King. The Bloodline launched an assault on Woods as well as Sir Kofi, with Roman Reigns ending the show by telling King Woods that he would show him what a "real" king looks like.
Given the emphasis on Woods (including a new theme song), it's clear that he is taking an even bigger step up - as a potential Universal title challenger to Roman Reigns. While he isn't going to win, he has emerged as an unexpected opponent.
WWE is doing the best they can to establish King Woods as a singles star. However, there is the possibility that all this is being done to set up the Survivor Series clash between Roman Reigns and WWE Champion Big E.