Baron Corbin: Will WWE SmackDown Star See Main Event Push in the Near Future?

Despite failing to capture the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania last week, Baron Corbin could have a bright future on Tuesday nights.

One could say that Baron Corbin is one of the WWE superstars most positively affected by this summer’s brand split. Since moving to Tuesday nights, Corbin has put on some great matches and had some meaningful story lines.

He first was involved in what some called the “greatest chairs match ever” against Kalisto at TLC in December. He even got a WWE Title shot on an episode of SmackDown later that month. Corbin’s push continued with an intriguing storyline that culminated in a lackluster match with Intercontinental champ Dean Ambrose on the WrestleMania pre-show.

The placement of that match on the card and its result both likely surprised viewers. Many expected Corbin to continue his push with a victory over Ambrose. But judging by the events on last week’s SmackDown, that feud isn’t over just yet.

It would be a safe bet to say that Corbin will eventually capture the Intercontinental Title from Ambrose. But could a main event push for the Lone Wolf be in store after that? It only seems logical that might be the case.

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If the rumors of AJ Styles moving from SmackDown to Raw do come to fruition, the blue brand will be without a top heel in its main event picture. Even if Styles does stay put, he hinted at a face turn in a segment with Shane McMahon last week.

Either way, it seems as though SmackDown will have an opening for a top heel. Does Corbin fit that mold right at the moment? Likely not. But after an Intercontinental Title win, presumably at or before Backlash in May, the answer to that question may change.

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Corbin’s push has been inevitable for almost a year now, and he could use that title win as a stepping stone for future gold. That gold may not come this summer, but it would be safe bet to say it’ll come at some point in the next year.

Let me make this clear: in no way am I saying that Corbin could replace Styles. Replacing Styles is no easy task for anyone, especially for someone making his first appearance in the main event picture. Down the road, however, Corbin will be a serviceable replacement who can add intrigue to SmackDown.

And if that sounds crazy, think about this. Three months ago if you would have told me I’d be writing this article, I’d laugh in your face. The Lone Wolf’s character has developed that much, in my eyes, in the past three months.

Match ups with guys like Randy Orton, Bray Wyatt, Shinsuke Nakamura and even AJ Styles all sound appealing to me, and I’d imagine that I’m not alone. The WWE has executed this push extremely well to this point, why stop it before it can get truly special?

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The “Superstar Shake-Up” will create many new opportunities for superstars on both brands. Let’s hope those opportunities continue to push the Corbin character forward.