WWE SmackDown: Bray Wyatt and Other Stars Primed to Break out After Brand Split

Although the WWE Raw roster is deeper and appears to have more star power than its SmackDown equivalent, it doesn't mean there won't be some big names preparing to break out on Tuesday nights.

The blue brand gives those lost in the shuffle of late the chance to refresh and rejuvenate their WWE careers.

There are newcomers looking to make impacts and seasoned veterans looking to take advantage of the situation after the brand split. Since big names like Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are on the other show, there will be more opportunities to make an impact.

Whether it's for a midcard championship, against Dean Ambrose for the WWE Championship or in the women's division, there will be plenty of chances for Superstars to snatch big-time opportunities on SmackDown.

Here's a run-through of some key stars who could break out on SmackDown.

Apollo Crews

Apollo Crews' first few months on the main roster were hit-and-miss—and that's probably an understatement.

There were many more disappointments than triumphs.

Crews is an undoubted star of the future and has all the tools to succeed in WWE. He has incredible athletic ability and is a great worker inside the ring. But he struggled to truly make his mark on a roster which was incredibly crowded before the brand split.

Now, however, he has the chance to properly break out.

There are some good opportunities available for Crews on SmackDown. He was beaten by Dolph Ziggler in last week's main event, but there is an opening for someone to go after The Miz and the Intercontinental Championship.

Who knows? Crews could be that guy. And that would be just what his career needs right now.

Becky Lynch

After a promising start to life on the main roster, things went drastically off the boil for Becky Lynch in the months leading up to the brand split.

Her feud with Natalya, while good in parts (and which may yet continue on SmackDown), didn't really set either of them up to start life after the split with a bang.

Lynch is unquestionably a future WWE Women's Championship holder, and although that title remains exclusive to Raw at the moment, being on SmackDown presents Lynch with a great opportunity.

She can use the next few months to really become the dominant female force on the blue brand.

A blowoff match with Natalya, which she should win, could be the thing she needs to kickstart her time on SmackDown. From there, she will face some stiff competition from fresh blood like Carmella and Alexa Bliss, but WWE should not forget that it has the potential to set up something incredible for WrestleMania next year.

Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte vs. Bayley: the reunion of The Four Horsewomen. 

Bray Wyatt

It's fairly unclear what is in Bray Wyatt's future on SmackDown, but it would be a major surprise if he's used as ineffectively as he was prior to the brand split.

A lack of direction for both Wyatt and his family often left fans frustrated about where a character widely considered to be one of WWE's most underrated is going. 

However, the brand split presents fresh opportunities for guys like Wyatt, and in the run to SummerSlam, WWE fans should begin to see him be more and more of a force.

Whether he has Erick Rowan by his side, teeing up a reunion with Luke Harper when he returns from injury, is unclear. But Bray has all the tools to make it to the very top on SmackDown, and the emergence of Dolph Ziggler should give hope to guys like Wyatt that they too could be pushed significantly on Tuesday nights. 

Randy Orton

Although he wasn't even supposed to be on Raw this past Monday, it was hard to ignore the impact Randy Orton made in the show's closing segment.

He has inter-brand business to deal with in the shape of Brock Lesnar, but when Orton is done with that, he will be on the road to becoming one of SmackDown's very top names.

With the emergence of stars like Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns in recent years, Orton had begun to get lost in the shuffle. However, he has come back from injury with a real ruthless edge to him and looks to have mastered the rebellious babyface role.

Expect Orton to be firmly in WWE Championship contention before the year is out, claiming his place at the very top of the blue brand in a short time.