Could This Be The Key To Guessing Smackdown's Next Champion?

Smackdown Live just crowned a new WWE Champion in Bray Wyatt at the recent Elimination Chamber [...]

By Matthew Aguilar

Smackdown Live just crowned a new WWE Champion in Bray Wyatt at the recent Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, and if the pattern holds, fans might have an idea of who will take it from him down the line.

Reddit user Bonneh (via SquaredCircle) recently presented a potential pattern that WWE has followed with its Smackdown Champions. As noted, it happens to follow the original brand split draft, as Smackdown Live drafted then WWE Champion Dean Ambrose with the first pick, followed by AJ Styles, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Bray Wyatt.

Styles defeated Ambrose for the belt at BackLash, while Styles was eventually defeated by John Cena at the Royal Rumble. Orton hasn't actually won the championship yet, but he did come out the victor at the Royal Rumble and automatically gets a match against the Champion at WrestleMania. The fifth draftee, Bray Wyatt, recently took the belt from Cena at Elimination Chamber.

If this pattern persists, then next up for championship gold would be The Miz, who was drafted seventh. After Miz would be lone wolf Baron Corbin, both of which are constantly in the title pictures on Smackdown Live. Miz has had a career resurgence since heading to Smackdown Live, and the company seems quite high on Corbin as well.

Smackdown also drafted Becky Lynch at six, and she was the first Smackdown Live Women's Champion, and sitting at ninth is American Alpha, who have also achieved championship gold, lending further credence to the theory.

Now, it does make sense that the higher draft picks would all be in the Championship picture, otherwise you wouldn't have drafted them first. Still, the order in which the belt has changed hands is surprising, in that it follows the list so closely.

The era of Wyatt doesn't show any signs of ending until at least WrestleMania, but going with The Miz or Corbin would certainly be interesting as 2017 moves along.

Next up is WWE Fastlane, which hits on March 5, followed by NXT Takeover Orlando on April 1. WrestleMania 33 lands on April 2, while Money In The Bank lands in St. Louis on June 8. NXT Takeover hits New York on August 19m followed bt SummerSlam on August 20.

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