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The first live episode of SmackDown for 2019 comes tonight. The McMahons are in charge and have promised big changes to the product. Could we see any of these changes tonight?
With the hope that SmackDown may truly be shaken up, let's take a look at some twists WWE could treat us to.
#4 AJ Styles reforms The Club
As you probably know, former WWE Champion AJ Styles met Mr. McMahon backstage at the end of WWE SmackDown a couple of weeks ago. Vince told Style to dig deep inside and show him his darker side and in order to motivate him a little more, he smacked Styles on the head. AJ didn't take this lying down and struck Vince back.
Last week on Smackdown, it was clear that Styles wasn't happy with the McMahons. What could be next for AJ Styles? He could take Vince's advice and run his way through the SmackDown roster especially if he brings The Club back. Gallows and Anderson aren't really doing much right now and this could give them something to sink their teeth into.
#3 Becky Lynch attacks Carmella and Charlotte
We got a backstage segment last week on SmackDown where Triple H asked WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Asuka who she wanted to face next. They were duly interrupted by Charlotte Flair, Carmella and Becky Lynch who all tried to stake their claim.
This week's episode of SmackDown could see WWE write Becky off the title scene on the blue brand so that she's free to enter the women's Royal Rumble match. How does WWE do this? They could have Becky attack both Charlotte Flair and Carmella, forcing management to pull her from contention for Asuka's title.
#2 Nikki Cross rejoins SAnitY
WWE SmackDown needs something new, especially a new story on the mid-card. One way to do this would be to have Nikki Cross rejoin SAnitY. It's not difficult to see that SAnitY's run on SmackDown far has been a total and utter bust and due to no fault of their own. They've hardly been booked at all and when they have, it's usually been to stare at the lights.
Nikki Cross rejoining her boys from WWE NXT could be just the shot in the arm SAnitY need to finally make a mark on the main roster. Wolfe and Dain could go after the tag titles with Eric Young leading them.
WWE doesn't need to do much to get SAnitY over. They just have to be booked in exactly the same way as they were on WWE NXT.
#1 Randy Orton attacks WWE SmackDown's newest star
WWE really needs to give us this feud. Randy Orton is the perfect person to help Mustafa Ali get over if WWE indeed has big plans for the "heart of 205 Live".
Randy Orton is a veteran and he works best as a heel, which he is currently. His feuds with Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio didn't really work in my opinion because we've seen those feuds before.
However, if WWE books Orton to destroy a young Mustafa Ali in the same heinous way, it could really work. Ali is a pure babyface and a motivated Orton could help establish him.
The feud could continue to build in the Royal Rumble match and lead to a future singles match between the two. Ali would have to win that match, of course.
