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There's only one stop before The Royal Rumble comes our way and it's the latest episode of WWE SmackDown. And to build excitement for the Royal Rumble, I am sure that Vince McMahon and his genius crew will load the show up with a few surprises.
So, here are the 5 surprises that I wouldn't be surprised to see during the course of the show, but you are welcome to chime in and let me know if you believe that there may be surprises that I have missed out on. I'm always keen to hear what you have to say and I welcome your take, reader.
One thing that's for sure is that WWE has to build anticipation and excitement for the upcoming event. WWE isn't as must-watch as it used to be during the Attitude Era, and fans may need a friendly reminder that they should subscribe to the WWE Network, in case they have not.
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And the best way to achieve that is through surprises.
#5 Sasha Banks teases coming for Bayley's SmackDown Women's Championship
It's pretty clear as day that it will be Roman Reigns who wins the men's Royal Rumble match. It's much harder to foresee who will be victorious on the women's side, but one strong possibility is Sasha Banks. Clearly, the plan is for Sasha Banks to take on Bayley at WrestleMania and the match could certainly be booked if Banks wins the Royal Rumble match.
The first tease of such a match could happen on this week's show where Sasha Banks claims that she will win the Royal Rumble match and tells Bayley to watch out. And this could be the beginning of a long-term storyline that begins with 'The Boss' coming out on top at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
#4 Nia Jax comes in, albeit as a babyface
If you have a minute to spare, after you're done reading this article, be sure to click on the video linked above and check out Korey Gunz and Tom Colohue talking about their picks and predictions for the Royal Rumble. One of the possibilities discussed during the course of the podcast is that Nia Jax could return as a babyface and just take on Sasha Banks and Bayley to even the odds for Lacey Evans.
As cool as Lacey Evans is and as much as the crowd seems to root for her, I just don't think that she's ready to be the SmackDown Women's Champion just yet because, all said and done, Bayley is on fire at the moment. So, assuming she comes up short at the Royal Rumble, Nia Jax could be a very interesting opponent for Bayley.
Nia Jax could make a huge return this week and announce herself as a contender for the Royal Rumble. And if she wins the Royal Rumble, she could actually swerve us and choose Becky Lynch as her opponent for WrestleMania 36.
#3 New match added to the Royal Rumble card
The current Royal Rumble card does not have as many matches as I would have assumed and I find this to be very surprising. I can absolutely imagine The New Day in tag team competition defending their Championships against John Morrison and The Miz at the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Another match that is not on the card and is frankly surprising because of its absence is the bout between Braun Strowman and 'The Artist' Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The two men have been building up to a titanic clash and it does seem like we'll see a change of guard when the match is said and done.
I don't know if the addition of these two matches to the card counts as surprises in the truest sense of the word, but it would certainly build a lot more excitement and anticipation for the big event. The thrill of seeing a title change hands is one that cannot be matched.
Could we even see a match between Otis and Dolph Ziggler over Mandy Rose?
#2 Ziggler attacks Otis for catching Mandy Rose last week
Even though a lot of wrestling fans balk at the sight of the storyline between Lana and Bobby Lashley, they do not necessarily have the same issues with Otis and Mandy Rose. And this is because Otis is such a natural babyface character that it is just natural to root for the guy. And this could be used to kickstart a brand new feud on WWE SmackDown.
We have already seen that Dolph Ziggler is interested in Mandy Rose as well and the fact that Mandy Rose seems to be falling for Otis, could eventually result in Dolph Ziggler attacking Otis in the backstage area to begin a new feud. Heavy Machinery vs. Ziggler and Roode would ensure TV time for both parties and elevate Tucky, who's been completely overshadowed by Otis in recent times. Eventually Mandy Rose could reveal that she was playing Otis all along and that would make Otis the most popular babyface in WWE!
All it'll take for this feud to commence is a big backstage attack.
#1 Daniel Bryan finds out the secret of The Fiend's power
The Fiend has been known to emerge from the bottom of the ring upon his unsuspecting victims and drag them all the way to hell and beyond. And he planned to do just that when Kane made a return to SmackDown, but this time, Daniel Bryan was ready for his tactics.
So, we all know that Ramblin' Rabbit has been saying that there's a way to defeat The Fiend. During the scuffle that ensued last week, Daniel Bryan was rewarded with a bunch of The Fiend's locks and it makes one wonder if this is the secret to defeating this unbeatable supernatural entity.
If such is the case, I have a feeling that there will be some kind of development where Ramblin' Rabbit tells Daniel Bryan that the key is in the lock or something of that nature, I suppose. And this could lead directly to the upcoming match between The Fiend and Bryan.
I wouldn't mind a storyline of this nature to set it apart from everything else that is happening on the show.
An unexpected name just challenged Randy Orton RIGHT HERE.
