WWE SmackDown has seen several different changes as the company speeds down the road to WrestleMania 41.
From LA Knight capturing the United States Championship to The Street Profits regaining tag team gold, the brand has shifted in direction several times in the past few weeks.
With less than a month away from “The Show of Shows,” there is still time for even more twists and turns along the way to Las Vegas on April 19 and 20.
Here are nine potential changes to WWE SmackDown.
9. World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER Comes To SmackDown To Target Jey Uso’s Brother, Jimmy Uso
On the March 14 edition of WWE SmackDown, World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER made a surprise appearance to make an open challenge to anyone from Spain.
This brought out current NXT Tag Team Champion Axiom who had a strong showing in a spirited bout with “The Ring General.”
Later in the night, GUNTHER had a backstage segment with his WrestleMania 41 opponent Jey Uso’s twin brother Jimmy Uso to ask him to talk his brother out of their scheduled World Heavyweight Title clash at “The Showcase of the Immortals.”
GUNTHER should continue to show up on the blue brand and further target Jimmy in an effort to get in the head of Jey, causing more doubt to his challenger and add further fuel to their brewing rivalry that will culminate at Mania.
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8. Jacob Fatu Goes After The United States Championship
LA Knight kickstarted his second reign as WWE United States Champion after defeating Shinsuke Nakamura for the title on the March 7 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
Issuing an open challenge to anyone to start the March 14 SmackDown, several challengers emerged, including Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu.
With Fatu set to settle the score with Braun Strowman that started in January on the March 21 episode, it should “The Samoan Werewolf” who comes out with the victory and moves on to challenge Knight for the U.S. Title.
Fatu challenging Knight at WrestleMania 41 feels like a high profile title bout that would put the gold in a spotlight that it has not been in since last summer.
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7. Alexa Bliss Joins The Wyatt Sicks & Targets The Judgment Day’s Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez
Ever since making her return at WWE Royal Rumble 2025, Alexa Bliss has been teasing an alliance that has excited many fans.
Anytime Bliss shows up on WWE TV, there are images and flashes alluding to a future association with The Wyatt Sicks faction.
After Bliss was eliminated from the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble and the Women’s Elimination Chamber by Liv Morgan, it looks like the two women are on a collision course, but it could come in tag team action.
With Morgan currently holding the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships with Raquel Rodriguez, fans could see Bliss join The Wyatt Sicks and reunite with Nikki Cross to target The Judgment Day duo on the road to WrestleMania 41.
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6. More Duos Form As Tag Team Division Chaos Continues After Street Profits’ WWE Tag Team Championship Win
On the March 14 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, The Street Profits captured the WWE Tag Team Championships with a victory over DIY.
With Pretty Deadly waiting in the wings as number one contender, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins will have no time to rest as the tag team scene on the blue brand has been filled with chaos.
Motor City Machine Guns and Los Garza have already made it clear they are coming for the gold, while new tag teams have formed such as “Melo Don’t Miz” to further add to the increased competition.
There are several stars like Andrade, Santos Escobar and Shinsuke Nakamura who could form duos to throw their names in the hat for this chaotic title picture with WrestleMania 41 on the horizon.
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5. Rey Fenix Debuts
The wrestling world is still buzzing after the March 14 episode of SmackDown saw the first vignette teasing the arrival of Rey Fenix to WWE.
The former AEW International Champion received his release from All Elite Wrestling in February and has expressed his desire to be in WWE since last summer.
After the impressive showing of his brother Penta on Monday Night Raw, Fenix will be looking to match his fellow Lucha Brother’s success on SmackDown.
Introducing him as a singles star will allow the fans to form a connection with one of the best high flyers in the world and will cause a big change to the blue brand overall.
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4. Aleister Black Returns
Another vignette that aired on the March 14 SmackDown saw a mysterious black screen with smoke forming the number four.
While this video package could be hinting at a debuting star, many fans and reports have alluded to this being the first vignette for the returning Aleister Black.
Following a four year stint with AEW, the former NXT Champion will be returning to WWE with plenty of fanfare and expectations.
With his former NXT boss Triple H now in charge of creative, Black should return to a much higher position on the roster than where he was back in 2021 under Triple H.
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3. Tiffany Stratton & Charlotte Flair Rivalry Heats Up
After making her return to win the 2025 Women’s Royal Rumble Match, Charlotte Flair chose Tiffany Stratton’s WWE Women’s Championship to challenge at WrestleMania 41.
The lead-up to the event has seen Flair get the better of Stratton on several occasions, but things changed a bit on the March 14 episode of SmackDown.
“Tiffy Time” showcased a more aggressive side of her personality by bringing the fight to Flair and leaving her laying after two death-defying senton dives.
The intensity of this rivalry has to heat up to get the fans interested into this WrestleMania clash and set the tone for a heated title bout in Las Vegas.
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2. CM Punk & Seth Rollins Move To SmackDown To Feud With Roman Reigns
On the March 21 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Roman Reigns is set to return to the blue brand, but he will not be coming alone.
Joining Reigns on this Friday’s show will be Raw stars CM Punk and Seth Rollins who will be looking to confront “The OTC” after his return on the March 10 episode of Monday Night Raw saw him lay out both men.
With a three-way showdown at WrestleMania 41 on the horizon, Rollins and Punk should move to the blue brand to flesh out their issues with each other and the former Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Reigns facing off with two of the company’s top stars should give SmackDown a centerpiece feud on the road to WrestleMania 41.
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1. Paul Heyman Chooses CM Punk Over Roman Reigns
While it looks like a triple threat match is going to be scheduled for WrestleMania 41, the issues between Roman Reigns and CM Punk could be more at the forefront than their individual rivalries with Seth Rollins.
Following Roman’s return to get some revenge on Seth Rollins after his Royal Rumble 2025 attack, Reigns took notice to his “Wise Man” Paul Heyman consoling Punk inside the steel cage and responded by attacking “The Second City Saint.”
With five weeks remaining before WrestleMania 41, Heyman being forced to choose between his “Tribal Chief” and “best friend” should be one of the focuses of the build to “The Show of Shows.”
Heyman eventually choosing Punk over Reigns could be one of the most memorable moments on the road to Mania and give “The OTC” some much needed adversity to overcome to come out with the victory in Las Vegas.
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