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WWE (both RAW and SmackDown) has been struggling with viewership figures even though the shows in the last few weeks haven't necessarily been the worst that I can remember. It just seems like people have a lot of other things on their minds considering the state of the world that we're in, and SmackDown programming isn't necessarily as much of a priority as their health and well being.
So, how does SmackDown recapture the minds and the imagination of the millions of lapsed fans who used to follow the weekly programming that they put out on a regular basis, you ask? I think that the best way to do so would be through surprises aplenty.
Yes, in this article, I shall list out 5 surprises that we could potentially see on this week's show, and you can list your own (get those creative juices flowing) on SmackDown in the comments section.
#5 Heavy Machinery attacks Braun Strowman on SmackDown
Yes, Otis is the Money in the Bank contract winner and the hottest thing on SmackDown right now, but what of his tag team partner? Have we all forgotten about Tucky except for Otis who could enlist his help to take down the Monster Among Men, I wonder? And this could lead us to a feud where Tucky is fed to Braun Strowman during his run as Champion to make him look strong on a SmackDown episode.
It may not necessarily make sense to split up Heavy Machinery at this moment because the storyline needs a build like Sasha Banks and Bayley are getting. Plus, them splitting up may be far too similar to the Sasha and Bayley storyline anyway, and SmackDown doesn't need two of the same thing, in my opinion.
#4 Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville ruin a cash-in attempt on SmackDown
Yes, Otis has the Money in the Bank contract, and chances are, based on how popular he is, it is only a matter of time until he becomes the face of SmackDown by capturing the WWE Universal Championship. But Dolph Ziggler and Sonya Deville have formed quite a formidable alliance on SmackDown as well and they will do everything in their power to ensure that Otis does not manage to capture the title.
So, let's imagine a situation where Braun Strowman has been knocked down and Otis is about to cash in his contract. Ziggler and Deville could show up out of nowhere and this could eventually lead to them costing Otis a chance to cash in his contract. And this could start a mixed tag team feud that stretches out for many months at a go, in my opinion.
Otis vs. Ziggler is a feud with enough steam to be a central storyline on SmackDown long after the resolution happened at WrestleMania, because of the strength of the storyline itself.
#3 Naomi turns heel on SmackDown
The women's division on SmackDown is very talented at the moment and that is, in part, owing to the fact that even Superstars like Dana Brooke who have been overlooked in the past are being pushed. But it's coming at the cost of established SmackDown stars such as Naomi, and there has been a massive outcry online for her to turn heel at some point.
I think it's all too possible for Naomi to turn heel on this week's episode of SmackDown. She could certainly go up to Dana Brooke and congratulate her on her victory and then, when people least expect it, Naomi could deck Brooke and go heel.
This makes a lot of sense to me because when Sasha Banks presumably becomes the SmackDown Women's Champion down the line, one would expect her to go face and she will need heels to challenge. There is nobody better than Naomi in this regard considering how good an athlete she is, and how much the audience would love to see Sasha vs. Naomi take place.
#2 Mandy Rose tries to distract Braun Strowman so Otis can cash in, during SmackDown
Any grown adult male will not be immune to the charms of SmackDown Superstar Mandy Rose, who is obviously drop-dead gorgeous. And she could use her charms to give her boyfriend Otis the advantage on this week's episode of SmackDown. When Braun Strowman is in the ring of the backstage area, she could potentially distract him in such a manner that Otis has a chance of cashing in his contract.
Whether or not, he actually manages to cash in remains to be seen, but this could certainly be a very fun attempt, in my personal opinion, at least. If Otis ends up becoming the Universal Champion thanks to Mandy Rose seducing the Monster Among Men on SmackDown, it would be one for the history books. Before, I sign out of this section, be sure to check out the interview linked above that my colleague Stephanie Chase conducted with Rose right before WrestleMania took place. It's a lot of fun.
#1 AJ Styles has a flashback, loses his match on SmackDown
So RAW Superstar AJ Styles is scheduled to be on SmackDown, presumably as a device to boost ratings. He will go one on one with a man with whom he's had several bouts outside and inside WWE – 'The Artist' of SmackDown – Shinsuke Nakamura.
There is absolutely no way that Shinsuke Nakamura defeats AJ Styles in a one-on-one contest based on where these two men are in the card, in my opinion, at least. But what could take the audience watching SmackDown at home by complete and total surprise is if AJ Styles had an Undertaker flashback based on something he saw in the ringside area, and it led to him losing this big match.
With Sami Zayn no longer in the active SmackDown roster, it makes all the sense in the world for AJ Styles to put over Shinsuke Nakamura in the biggest way that he can and this will also set the stage for a future AJ Styles vs. Undertaker match somewhere down the line.
