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WWE SmackDown has the incredible and glorious burden of getting us all hyped for the upcoming Royal Rumble 2021 pay-per-view, which is why it could be filled with surprises galore this week.
To be fair, WWE SmackDown has consistently been putting on better shows than RAW, but to keep the audience hooked and engaged over the long haul, it does need a good number of surprises consistently.
Here are 5 surprises that could potentially take place on this week's WWE SmackDown broadcast. Please share your thoughts, views, and opinions on the same in the section right below.
Would you like to see one or more of these surprises, this week on WWE SmackDown?
#5 WWE SmackDown is invaded by an Indian faction
The company has been going all out to promote WWE Superstar Spectacle, and some of the names that have been revealed are very interesting. Could an Indian faction, led by Jinder Mahal, show up on WWE SmackDown to hype up the 26th January show, in a massive way? Could Jinder Mahal bring two monstrous individuals in?
Jinder Mahal, The Singh Brothers, Dilsher Shanky, and Giant Zanjeer could show up on WWE SmackDown this week, to prove that WWE Superstar Spectacle is a show that is worth watching. Just remember that the two giants- Shanky and Zanjeer are 7+ feet tall. Indus Sher could also join the fray, to capture the Indian market.
The SK Wrestling office is based in India, and it is hard to put into words how much time and effort is being spent on this special, which is also slated to have names like Ric Flair, Charlotte Flair, and The New Day involved. A precursor to Superstar Spectacle on WWE SmackDown may not be the worst idea.
#4 Apollo Crews officially aligns himself with Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown, joining Jey Uso and Paul Heyman
The WWE SmackDown audience was shocked when they saw Apollo Crews in the backstage area with Roman Reigns this past week. It wasn't made clear if they were allies or not, but the fact of the matter is that Apollo Crews has started bending the rules, proving that there's a heel somewhere in him for sure.
This week on WWE SmackDown, Apollo Crews is scheduled to go up against Big E in a massive Intercontinental Championship match. Could he win the match thanks to Roman Reigns' interference?
And after the interference happens, Apollo Crews could declare that he's a member of Roman Reigns' faction officially, to the world. It would be a massive step up for him and a massive twist for the WWE SmackDown brand as well.
Apollo Crews as the Intercontinental Champion would also free up Big E to win the Royal Rumble and challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania for the WWE Universal Championship, if that's the plan.
#3 Cesaro betrays Shinsuke Nakamura and remains heel on WWE SmackDown, as Roman Reigns' man at arms
Cesaro and Daniel Bryan went to war last week on WWE SmackDown, and the right man won the contest. The speculation on everyone's mind at this point is whether Cesaro is a heel or a babyface if you consider that his former tag team partner, Shinsuke Nakamura is currently a heel.
Cesaro could show his true colors on WWE SmackDown this week, by blindsiding Shinsuke Nakamura and taking him down, proving that he is still, very much a heel. And then, in the ultimate betrayal, he could align himself with Roman Reigns, joining his collective.
Remember that Shinsuke Nakamura is currently at odds with Roman Reigns, and this is a feud that could stretch out for a period of many months, with Cesaro getting elevated in the process. Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura could have wars on WWE SmackDown for weeks to come, to make for very compelling television. Maybe their feud spills over to the Royal Rumble match too.
#2 Bianca Belair turns heel, attacking Bayley during the WWE SmackDown obstacle course
On this week's episode of WWE SmackDown, Bianca Belair will go up against Bayley in an obstacle course race. As we have seen in the past, such segments tend to end up being trainwrecks more often than not, unless there is a storytelling element involved as well. There's a big chance, in fact, that an important development happens during the course of this race.
Could Bianca Belair turn heel, with the whole world watching on WWE SmackDown, by attacking Bayley during the course of this obstacle course?
This is necessary because Sasha Banks is running out of opponents for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship, especially considering that she's almost done with Carmella and she's definitely done with Bayley. She will need new heels to go up against, and Bianca Belair could be exactly what the doctor ordered. Could Bianca Belair's heel turn be the precursor to her winning the 2021 Royal Rumble match as well? A heel Bianca Belair could be money, truth be told.
#1 Seth Rollins returns to WWE SmackDown, confronting Big E after his title match
Fans have been impatiently waiting for the WWE SmackDown return of a certain gentleman named Seth Rollins, who has been on a hiatus to focus on becoming a father. But before we talk about him, do check out what he had to say about Rey Mysterio, a man he's fought many battles with, in the SK exclusive above.
His arrival could happen on this week's episode of WWE SmackDown, as he steps up to confront Big E, for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Big E takes on Apollo Crews on WWE SmackDown, putting his title on the line once again, but it does seem unlikely that a new Champion will be crowned during the show. After all, it's only been a few weeks since Big E won the title and it'll be a mistake to take the Championship from him.
Seth Rollins vs. Big E on the road to WrestleMania for the Intercontinental Championship should, however, be a pretty massive feud.
