4 Things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown this week (January 17, 2025)

The recent episode of WWE SmackDown ended with Tiffany Stratton's victory, as she managed to retain her title against Bayley. The match witnessed many near falls, but Tiffy Time remained at the top. Besides this, the Bloodline saga also evolved in a major way.

In this article, we will discuss four things WWE subtly told us from SmackDown this week.

#4. Charlotte Flair vs Tiffany Stratton is next

Tiffany Stratton is still your WWE Women's Champion, but it appears that Charlotte Flair is already lined up to be her next challenger. During this week's show, WWE aired a video package of The Queen, seemingly confirming her imminent return.

Interestingly, this video package aired just before Stratton's entrance for the main event match. This seems like a subtle confirmation that the company's next plan is to bring Flair and Stratton face-to-face in a Women's World Title feud.

#3. Rey Mysterio might now be part of the SmackDown brand

Recently, Rey Mysterio appeared on SmackDown and declared his entry into the Men's Royal Rumble match 2025. The Master of the 619 also affirmed his intention to win the over-the-top-rope battle once again. Besides this, he engaged in a match with Kevin Owens, where the Prizefighter attempted to deliver a package piledriver to the veteran.

These developments seem to indicate that Rey could now be part of the blue brand, potentially shifting to SmackDown from RAW as part of a transfer window.

#2. Shawn Michaels is now part of Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens's story

Nick Aldis confronted Cody Rhodes backstage and expressed his frustration with the actions of Kevin Owens and Rhodes. Furthermore, the SmackDown General Manager made a major declaration. He revealed that at Saturday Night Main Event, the titles of Cody and KO will be relinquished during a major contract signing segment supervised by Shawn Michaels.

The inclusion of The Heartbreak Kid in this storyline seems to confirm that the legendary star is now part of the Kevin Owens saga. It appears that WWE is trying its best to elevate the entire storyline to new heights.

#1. The new Bloodline has now seemingly ended

Solo Sikoa made his return to the blue brand this week, where he left the ring without saying a word. Even Jacob Fatu, who was standing in the ring, remained confused and unhappy with Solo's actions. This whole segment, along with the reaction of the Samoan Werewolf, seems to hint that the new Bloodline has seemingly come to an end or that WWE is planning a drastic change for them.

It's probable that this segment could create tensions between the faction members and Solo, leading to the implosion of Bloodline 2.0.

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