3 Biggest things WWE could be Planning For SmackDown Live (18/12/18)

WWE Tables, Ladders and Chairs, 2018 was a terrific night for Smackdown Live as a whole. The brand's three scheduled title matches not only lived up to their hype and the expectations but also exceeded them.

The next stop for the roster is the SmackDown live show that will follow tonight's Monday Night Raw.

The company pulled out all the stops at the final pay-per-view of the year, and they need to do the same for this upcoming episode of SmackDown live.

This could be the time to get back on the track since the ratings are dipping week by week and there are future better opportunities than on the first show after a red-hot PPV.

Here are the 3 biggest things the WWE could be planning for Smackdown live.

#3: Lars Sullivan makes his presence felt

The Jack's Kirby illustration come to life is about to be unleashed on the WWE main roster. With Smackdown looking to make an impact after the TLC PPV, the addition of the NXT's resident monster to their roster will give them a much-needed boost going forward.

Sullivan, 30, has never won any gold in the WWE's developmental territory. Plenty of Superstars have found success on Raw and SmackDown without winning any titles in NXT, so that is not necessarily an indication of potential success.

Being on SmackDown would allow him to feud with the likes of AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Shinsuke Nakamura and other fan favourites who could make him look like a million bucks and put him over at the same time.

The vignettes WWE has been airing have shown Sullivan to be a force to be reckoned with, so his first appearance needs to send a message.

The most suitable way to debut him is to show him as a surprise opponent to Shinsuke Nakamura. Alternatively, the WWE could just book him to come out and decimate a couple of jobbers, Goldberg style.

#2: Randy Orton sets his eyes on AJ Styles

One of the most widely regarded norms in the WWE is that Randy Orton is better as a dastardly villain. And apparently, it's an idea that Orton himself is well aware of.

Since Randy Orton made his return at Extreme Rules, he's been making the lives of guys like Rey Mysterio and Jeff Hardy a living hell. The motivation behind these acts of violence is justified by his dislike for the current state of pro wrestling.

Randy Orton is sick of people like Brock Lesnar and their part-time schedule, and he is also sick of 'indie guys' both inside and outside of the WWE.

He is coming with a fresh loss at the hands of Rey Mysterio, and to vent his frustration, he probably needs a new target.

It's been heavily rumoured that the plans for WrestleMania 35 are to do a match between AJ Styles and Randy Orton.

If that's the direction the WWE is heading towards, it wouldn't be surprising if they plant the seeds on this week's episode of SmackDown Live.

That would immediately get Orton his heat back in his quest to solidify himself as WWE's most vicious heel and give both men a fresh direction following their defeats at TLC.

#1: Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair wreak havoc

Following a terrific SmackDown Women's championship match, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch are probably desperate to get their hands on Ronda Rousey.

The reason behind that is the interference caused by Rousey which cost Lynch and Flair their chance to grab the SmackDown Women's championship at TLC.

While the possibility of both Women invading Raw shouldn't be left out of the equation, it would be more fitting for them to sort it out on SmackDown Live first.

A lot of outcomes can be drawn for this coming conflict such as Charlotte and Becky Lynch co-winning the Royal Rumble to make it a triple threat match at the grandest stage of them all. Though, the bigger match would be Becky Lynch Vs Ronda Rousey, in my opinion.

They can always do Charlotte vs Rousey at the Royal Rumble PPV while Lynch goes on to win the Royal Rumble match to dethrone the Raw women's champion at WrestleMania.