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The RAW that followed the Royal Rumble pay-per-view was truly a mixed bag. As packed as the show was, it was far from perfect. SmackDown Live stands the chance of disappointing the WWE Universe. With an over-saturated crowd in attendance, SmackDown Live will need some genuine surprises to keep them invested.
Here are 5 surprises that could turn the show on its head, and still keep the fans quite invested. As always, do keep in mind that this is merely fantasy booking. There's a chance that none of what we've described in this article will actually happen.
At the same time, all 5 of the situations that we've outlined could happen. And if they do, this will be a memorable episode of SmackDown Live.
Let's start with the hottest news on the internet.
#5 Ronda Rousey swerves us all
A lot of fans tuned in to RAW this week, to see Ronda Rousey show up following her Royal Rumble appearance. Many of them were disappointed that she wasn't on RAW. Maybe it was never planned for her to be on RAW anyway. Maybe she has SmackDown Live on her mind.
If Rousey decided to go after Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Live Women's Championship at WrestleMania 34, she could initiate a program as early as this week. It would get eyeballs on a show that has a serious dearth of stars. Rousey would be just the shot in the arm that SmackDown Live needs.
Rousey vs. Flair seems like a bigger match than Rousey vs. Bliss anyway. The two women could put on a match for the ages.
The greatest female sports entertainer against the biggest star ever in women's MMA history.
#4 Bliss and Braun take out their MMC Opponents
Even though The Miz and Asuka were part of the Mixed Match Challenge last week, there was a massive drop in viewership. This week, Braun Strowman and Alexa Bliss will meet the team of Becky Lynch and Sami Zayn, for the Mixed Match Challenge. How differently will they fare? Well, there's one way to create some hype in advance...
We could totally imagine Alexa Bliss showing up on SmackDown Live, ahead of Becky Lynch's match to attack her and put her out of commission for good. Therefore, even if Bliss and Strowman were to go over, Bliss and Zayn would be protected from defeat. It would be odd to see two such strong teams lose in the first round.
Moreover, audiences would stay tuned following the show, to catch all the action on Facebook Watch. Getting the upper hand is what heels do, after all!
If Strowman decided to attack Zayn, let's just say he probably wouldn't have to attack from behind.
#3 Ziggler returns for his title
As the clock counted down to zero for the Men's Royal Rumble, the WWE Universe unanimously wondered just who would show up at the Number 30 spot. Lo and behold! It was none other than Ziggler.
The former US Champion came back to WWE, for the first time since relinquishing his prized Championship. Shortly after, he was eliminated.
This one is probably not even a surprise. We have a feeling that he'll want his title back, considering he probably feels that Roode doesn't deserve the title, as he never really won it from the previous champ.
The two men have been feuding for a while, but we think there's the last chapter to this story, still to be told.
#2 Rey Mysterio challenges Shinsuke Nakamura
It is believed that Mysterio's Royal Rumble appearance was a one-off deal. However, there's a distinct possibility that considering how much the crowd was into the legendary luchador, he could stay back for a match.
If so, this is a match we can totally imagine, leading up to WrestleMania 34. Could Mysterio challenge Nakamura to a clash, for the WrestleMania spot? After all, he's already in town, and Mysterio does equal ratings.
Imagine that main event to cap off the fallout episode of SmackDown Live. Now that's an episode of SmackDown Live, that will keep the viewers invested for the long haul. Of course, Nakamura would retain, but he'd become an even more formidable opponent for Styles.
#1 Kevin Owens turns on Sami Zayn
Time for a little recap. Tye Dillinger was supposed to be the 10th entrant in the Royal Rumble, for the second year in a row. Only he wasn't, and the cameras went backstage to find out why this was the case. Owens and Zayn had put him out of commission.
Zayn decided to enter the Royal Rumble match himself. Only he did not last very long. Does Owens feel that Zayn blew an opportunity for both men?
If so, could we see Owens blindsiding Zayn during the course of this show? To possibly set up an Owens vs Zayn match for WrestleMania!
With SmackDown Live only a few hours away, let us know which of these predictions do you think could take place at the show!
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