Roman Reigns
The WWE are looking into the possibility of having a live audience at Wrestlemania 37. They will monitor Super Bowl LV to see how the NFL handles it this February. (Photo: Megan Elice Meadows | Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/))

In the last episode of WWE SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura became the unexpected focus when he participated in the gauntlet match to determine the no. 1 contender to Roman Reigns Universal title.

The “King of Strong Style” had to overcome Rey Mysterio, King Corbin and Daniel Bryan to reach the final. But in the end, Reigns screwed the former NXT champion by getting involved and making Adam Pearce the victor.

However, it appears something is brewing for “The Artist.” He will be back in action on the next SmackDown episode to face Jey Uso for some payback. It will be interesting if this is a new storyline that the WWE has drawn up, hinting that Nakamura could be the next WWE star getting a push.

If one digs deep, setting up Nakamura to face Reigns for the WWE Universal title makes sense. The former United States champion won the 2018 edition of the Royal Rumble, ironically eliminating Reigns last.

 

Nakamura could use that to his advantage to goat Reigns into seeking payback. However, there are a lot of things to consider. The first of which is the 2021 Royal Rumble which happens on Jan. 31.

Nakamura holds a 66/1 odds of winning the 30-man battle royal although that could change after the upcoming Smackdown show. He could be an inserted element who may end up feuding with Uso rather than Reigns.

Also, there is Bryan to consider. The “Yes Man” was considered as the likely opponent for the Tribal Chief for Wrestlemania 37. Further, Bryan is the odds-on-pick to win the 2021 Royal Rumble and challenge the Big Dog at the WWE spectacle a few months after.

Originally, Goldberg was seen as the plausible opponent for Reigns. Their Wrestlemania 36 showdown never took place and it seems only fitting to see the “Battle of Spears” this time around. All that was flushed away when Goldberg challenged DrewMcIntyre for his WWE title.

With WWE CEO Vince McMahon ordering the creative team to give some underutilized star a push, Nakamura makes sense. But given the current factors, it may take time for that to happen.

The WWE will see how fans react to a Nakamura push before deciding on what the main event to set for Wrestlemania 37. The Nakamura vs. Uso match carries a lot of implications but the best indicator is perhaps the sidelights and people who may eventually get involved in the match.