WWE SmackDown: Burning Questions to Address After May 9 Show

Questions about the blue brand's decision-making came into play after London hosted WWE SmackDown.

Mojo Rawley went from knocking over heels to showing kids around the building. Luke Harper added another loss to his resume as he hungers for direction. And Jinder Mahal's pursuit of the WWE Championship remains an experiment that has proved to be a success just yet.

Tuesday's SmackDown gave Breezango the space to be an absurd and amusing act. It continues to showcase the U.S. title and stir up bad blood within the women's division.

Those moves all make sense. What the brand is doing with Rawley and Harper, on the other hand, doesn't add up.

As for Mahal, until he can catch fire, a la Braun Strowman, the audience will continue to question his prominent position.

The following is a look at Mahal's spot, Rawley's path and a lack of faith in Harper, while breaking down the biggest unknowns floating around after Tuesday's SmackDown. 

Does WWE Have a Plan for Mojo?

Rawley hasn't done much since winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal with the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski. That continued on Tuesday's SmackDown when the ever-hyped Superstar played tour guide backstage.

In a short segment, Rawley showed a group of kids around the arena. He told them about Andre the Giant's legacy and unveiled a trophy featuring his likeness.

That was it. No punchline. No clear purpose.

Rawley hasn't wrestled on TV consistently. He's not currently in a feud with anyone. And it doesn't look like he's going to make it on the Backlash card on May 21.

Is WWE unsure of what to with Rawley? Is it just biding time until his tag team partner, Zack Ryder, returns?

For now, it seems as if Rawley is simply a low priority. Mahal, Breezango and others are getting the kind of direction he needs. There's likely no space for him on the stage right now.

He'll have to settle for scraps when it comes to airtime for the moment.

Who Will Emerge as Leader of Babyface Faction?

The Welcoming Committee has a clear hierarchy: Natalya is in charge, Tamina is the muscle, Carmella is a soldier and James Ellsworth is essentially the group's mascot. The dynamic of the team opposing them isn't as obvious yet.

When Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Naomi huddled backstage on Tuesday night, it was hard to tell who was leading the way.

Flair's confidence suggests she should take up that role. Naomi is the SmackDown women's champ and that has to count for something. And Lynch was the one who cooked up the idea of a six-woman tag team match against the heels.

Is this group a long-term one? Who will be its captain and who will fall in line?

Answers should emerge soon. Flair, Naomi and Lynch are now set to face the Welcoming Committee at Backlash. The trio's pecking order will be made clear in the heat of battle.

Why No Love for Harper?

Right before the Superstar Shake-up, it looked like Harper was set to ascend to a higher tier on SmackDown.

He freed himself from The Wyatt Family. He was involved in the WWE title picture, battling for the right to face Orton. That's already a distant memory, though.

On Tuesday's SmackDown, fans saw where Harper now sits on the blue brand ladder. He dropped a bout to Erick Rowan with little resistance. 

Harper has had minimal spotlight and no momentum to speak of. The Superstars involved in the six-man main event all have title hopes and high-profile stories. Harper can't say that at all.

Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman is hoping that changes eventually:

Based on his talent, Harper should be in the hunt for the United States title. Or at least, he should be a part of a sustained storyline.

For now, though, SmackDown is clearly content with letting him spin his wheels. That's hard to understand.

Is Mahal Out of His Element?

During Tuesday's opening segment, flanked by his cronies The Singh Brothers, Mahal interrupted Randy Orton.

In typical WWE fashion, the ring soon filled up with personalities—Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Baron Corbin and Orton. Each man had a beef with at least one other. Mahal couldn't keep with the others in terms of charisma.

He has improved his promo work but felt out of place opposite the likes of Styles and Owens.

Mahal then scored the winning pinfall for his team in the main event. The Maharaja took advantage of the chaos in the ring and slammed Orton to the canvas. It was supposed to be an announcement of Mahal's arrival, a tease of what could be at the upcoming PPV.

The moment fell flat, a result of a forced rapid push.

Can Mahal make this rise to contender status work? Is he struggling because he's a midcarder trying to move past his natural ceiling?

The No. 1 contender to the WWE title will get one more opportunity on SmackDown, and a career-changing match awaits him afterward at Backlash. He will get his chances to impress.

He has a good number of doubters to silence, though. 

To this point, Mahal hasn't looked at home near the top of the food chain. And WWE isn't likely to be patient with him in that spot. The brand has other potential headliners to welcome in his place.