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While RAW has been amping up the excitement with weddings and fake injuries, SmackDown has faltered in a sense because even though the shows are good, it's not necessarily making waves like its red counterpart is. All of that could change in the new year with a truly loaded show to kick 2020 off!
So what are the surprises that could potentially take place in the first SmackDown episode of 2020, you ask? I do not have a crystal ball to gaze into but I can see the following surprises potentially happening for sure.
Sound off in the comments below and let me know if you agree or disagree with my picks. I'd love to hear what you guys have to say and you're welcome to suggest surprises of your own as well.
Some of these surprises are very obvious while the others are, not as obvious at first glance.
#5 Sonya Deville shockingly turns on Mandy Rose
If you follow Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose on social media, you know that they are the best of friends in real life, owing to the barrage of pictures they upload together. However, Mandy Rose is in the midst of a love triangle between Dolph Ziggler and Otis at the moment and chances are that we're reaching the end of the line for Fire & Desire in WWE. This was a team that was born from the ashes of Absolution but became a popular act on their own after Paige was forced to retire.
So, Deville has seemed upset in the past because Mandy Rose hasn't had her back on-screen during her matches. I can see this escalating to a point where Sonya Deville turns on Mandy Rose, making the latter a babyface in the process. Rose vs. Deville could be a good feud.
#4 Sheamus aligns himself with Corbin
I've interviewed Robert Roode on two occasions in the past and he's been a class act every time. And therefore, I do hope that the following words don't come to pass but one has to be wary that they very well could.
One has to be mindful of the fact that a Superstar like Robert Roode will not be in the good graces of WWE management after returning from a wellness violation (and that's over a week away at this moment). What that leads me to believe is that WWE will want a second heel who could join King Corbin and Ziggler to bolster their ranks and form some semblance of a heel stable on WWE SmackDown.
Even though Sheamus has showcased signs of doing his own thing, I can very well imagine him as a friend of King Corbin's upon his big return to action. It may not even be the worst idea in the world.
#3 Heavy Machinery align themselves with Roman Reigns
It is very clear that Otis and Dolph Ziggler will be competing for the affections of one Mandy Rose in the following weeks. Both men have made it amply clear that they are interested in her and this raises very interesting possibilities, I think.
On this week's episode of WWE SmackDown, I can totally see Heavy Machinery teaming up with Roman Reigns to take on Dolph Ziggler and The Revival. They aren't doing too much anyway and this is why I think that kick-starting this feud ahead of the Royal Rumble could lead to some interesting possibilities during the actual men's Rumble match.
Roman Reigns often does the brunt of the hard work in multi-man matches but then allows the babyfaces he's teaming up to score the victory, to make new stars, and he could certainly do this with Otis in my opinion.
#2 Lacey Evans finds an ally in Alexa Bliss
It's just crazy to have someone as talented and popular as The Goddess in your roster and not use her beyond mere talk show appearances only. I mean she is someone who excelled as a heel and is now just as popular as a babyface owing to her coffee addict gimmick that's surprisingly gotten over really well. You never really know what will strike a chord with the WWE Universe.
Even though she may not really be a part of the ongoing storyline between Lacey Evans and Bayley, she could bolster the ranks for Evans against Sasha and Bayley. Alexa Bliss hosted Lacey Evans on a Moment of Bliss and owing to everything that transpired, she could say that she has Lacey Evans' back to even out the numbers game. Even if she loses, it'll still keep her in the mix, in my opinion.
#1 Daniel Bryan names a stipulation for the upcoming Universal title match
Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt have amazing chemistry when they are working against one another and one can go back to their clash at the Royal Rumble in 2014 to see just how fantastically they can tell a story. But the fact of the matter is that we saw them clash at Survivor Series which wasn't too long ago, and this is why a stipulation needs to be added to make the clash exciting.
Daniel Bryan has not been afraid to embrace the horror aspect of Bray Wyatt's character and this is why I think that he wouldn't necessarily be averse to a gimmick match like a casket match or a buried alive or even an inferno match, in my personal opinion. It would certainly add a very interesting twist to the Royal Rumble event and make the show even bigger!
