WWE SmackDown Fallout: Kofi Kingston Poised for WrestleMania Run and More

The February 26 episode of SmackDown Live shook things up drastically as Kofi Kingston was replaced in the main event of the Fastlane show, altering the proposed main event of the pay-per-view.

The New Day member was replaced swiftly before The Hardy Boyz returned and put the tag team division on notice.

Matt and Jeff were impressive in a victory over The Bar, but they hardly feel like the front-runners on the blue brand's considerably stacked tag division.

Then there is Kevin Owens, who returned to television and immediately got what Kingston wanted: a WWE Championship match. 

Dive deeper into these takeaways with this recap of Tuesday's broadcast.

Kofi Kingston's Latest Setback Will Spark WrestleMania Title Run

Kofi Kingston's path to WrestleMania 35 and the WWE Championship became clearer Tuesday night when Vince McMahon dismissed him from the title bout at Fastlane and replaced him with the returning Kevin Owens.

Originally slated to challenge Daniel Bryan for the most prestigious title in the company, Kingston now finds himself on the outside looking in.

A position he actually wants to be in at this point.

If Kingston had gone to Fastlane, had a competitive match with Bryan and lost, the narrative would have been one of a veteran Superstar who made the most of his opportunity but was ultimately beaten by one of the best wrestlers on the planet.

There is more mileage in the respected underdog babyface who was screwed out of his title opportunity by a trolling, over-the-hill owner.

Ironically enough, Kingston's run to WrestleMania resembles that of the man he is likely to face.

Bryan was the respected wrestler whose fanbase jumped at the opportunity to support him and, ultimately, forced WWE to push him into the main event of The Showcase of the Immortals.

While Kingston's sudden burst of fan support is still in its infancy, he is very much the grizzled veteran looking for his shot at the title that has eluded him throughout his career.

The New Day man will continue to ride the support of his fans and the momentum he has built for himself through Fastlane, to WrestleMania and an unlikely run with the WWE Championship—even if he and his New Day mates have to buck the system to get to that point.

Hardy Boyz Return Crowds Already Jam-Packed SmackDown Tag Team Division

The Hardy Boyz reunited Tuesday night and defeated The Bar in a hotly contested tag team match.

The bout meant nothing to any ongoing storylines, but Matt and Jeff's return to the division further crowded what is already a jam-packed tag roster.

The Usos are the top dogs in the division by way of their sixth tag title reign. The New Day's Xavier Woods and Big E have been consistent threats to Jimmy and Jey for the better part of four years now. The Bar's Sheamus and Cesaro have been the measuring stick for consistency since their unlikely partnership.

There is the thrown-together team of Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev, the NXT import teams of Ricochet and Aleister Black and the duo formerly known as DIY, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. 

And do not forget about Sanity and The Good Brothers, even if WWE Creative does.

The return of The Hardys popped the crowd and created genuine excitement for Tuesday's show, but it begs the question: Does SmackDown have too much of a good thing on its hands?

Considering the lack of depth on Raw, perhaps WWE Creative would be better off shifting one or two of the teams to the flagship to even out the sides a bit.

As things stand, Matt and Jeff will either find themselves overshadowed or towering over a division at the expense of another team. 

Babyface Run Sparks New Chapter, Fresh Start in Kevin Owens' Career

To say Kevin Owens' character had grown stale by the time he took a hiatus to heal up last summer would be an understatement.

KO had become a shell of the Superstar he once was, thanks in large part to injury and diminishing creative. He would still deliver the occasional promo that reminded fans there was a real man behind the robot, but longtime supporters could tell the character in that form had about burned itself out.

Fast-forward to Tuesday's show and Owens returned as a babyface, walking to the ring and signing the contract for a WWE Championship match against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane.

Assuming he remains in that role and creative does not feel the pressure of the momentous Kofi Kingston surge to change things, the babyface run has the potential to give fans a look at an Owens they have never seen on television before.

KO is smart, funny, intense and sarcastic. He can be a wildly popular antihero of sorts if WWE Creative so chooses. He can be the babyface who carries the brand on his back going forward. 

It will depend considerably on booking and how much fans force the issue with Kingston as to whether Owens ultimately gets to show off more of that enormous personality of his as one of the most interesting and compelling characters in the company.