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Last week on SmackDown, WWE legend Rey Mysterio was attacked in the backstage area whilst he was praying ahead of his Tag Team Championship match against Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode.
Dominik was seen minutes before the attack and then when the show came back from an ad break, Mysterio was complaining about his ribs.
Dominik was able to head out to the ring and handle a large part of the Championship match without his father, but many fans are now questioning who was behind the attack.
The mystery attacker was set to be revealed this week on SmackDown, but it appears that the angle has either been dropped or WWE has decided to extend the story much further. This could mean that there is a much deeper story in place here and WWE could circle back in the future.
Whilst WWE Champions will always have targets on their backs, the following list looks at some of the company's most likely suspects.
#8/7. Former WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos
Jimmy and Jey Uso were given a shot at the Tag Team Championships this week on SmackDown where the duo came up short.
It was already known at the time of the attack on Rey Mysterio last week, that the two brothers were looking to step back into the title picture. They also needed to ensure that they took home the gold.
The pressure of this situation could have finally got the better of the The Usos and they could have then made the decision to ensure that Mysterio was weakened.
This plan obviously didn't work for them since The Mysterios were able to retain their Championships against The Dirty Dawgs and Rey Mysterio didn't show any signs of weakness this week.
Jimmy Uso was also against Roman Reigns attacking Dominik and Rey Mysterio this week, after the Universal Champion had cost The Usos their match. It would be quite the swerve if it was revealed that Jimmy was the one behind the initial attack and that he was feeling the strain of trying to fit in with his cousin.
Jimmy spent more than a year away from WWE after being injured at WrestleMania 36. In that time, his brother has become a main event level talent and his cousin is the face of the company.
Could Jimmy Uso have been the one behind the attack to ensure that when it came to the Tag Team Championship match this week, they would come out on top?
It would be a surprise if The Usos were behind the attack, but it's hard to rule anyone out at this point since the WWE Tag Team Champions seem to have a lot of enemies backstage.
#6/5. Former WWE Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode attacked Dominik before their match against the Mysterios at WWE WrestleMania Backlash.
The fact that Rey Mysterio was attacked in the same manner on SmackDown last week has led to rumors that Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode were behind the attack. After all, Roode and Ziggler had the most to gain from the attack, since the two men believed that they could take out Dominik if he was alone.
The former Tag Team Champions were seen in the ring ahead of their match just moments after the attack which has cast some doubt over whether or not they are responsible.
Whilst this attack is straight out of Roode and Ziggler's playbook, it would have made sense for WWE to show the two men carrying out the attack rather than create a mystery.
It's likely that there is something much bigger in play here or WWE had a bigger storyline idea, before deciding to drop it ahead of this week's show.
#4. Former WWE Superstar Buddy Murphy
Buddy Murphy and Rey Mysterio were part of a storyline on WWE TV back in 2020 which surrounded Mysterio's daughter Aalyah. The story was seemingly dropped when Seth Rollins headed off on paternity leave at the end of the year.
Murphy has since been seen trying to win back the trust of Seth Rollins but was unable to do so when he couldn't defeat Cesaro. This attack could have been Murphy's attempt to continue to prove himself to Rollins since he hasn't had much luck in WWE in the months following his spat with The Messiah.
If Murphy was the man behind the attack then the reason the storyline was seemingly dropped would make sense. The former NXT Tag Team Champion was released by WWE earlier this week along with Ruby Riott, Aleister Black, Braun Strowman, Lana, and Santana Garrett.
Aleister Black was in the middle of a storyline with Big E when his release was revealed, so being part of a storyline with Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins perhaps wasn't enough to save Murphy's career.
#3/2. Former WWE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits
The Street Profits were drafted over to WWE SmackDown as Champions last year but have been struggling on the blue brand in recent months.
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins had to wait months before they were handed a rematch for their Championships and haven't been able to reclaim the titles.
Earlier this week, MVP shared an image on Instagram where he was accompanied by The Street Profits. This has led to rumors that there could be some new members joining The Hurt Business.
Even though MVP is on Monday Night RAW, he could find a way to manage The Street Profits who are on SmackDown and help them reclaim their Championships.
An attack on Rey Mysterio could have been the duo sending a message regarding the titles and making it clear that the Mysterios are now just placeholders.
It could also have been born out of frustration given the duo's current position on SmackDown.
This would also create an interesting long-term storyline for the two teams moving forward, which would explain why the identity of the attacker wasn't revealed this week on WWE SmackDown.
#1. WWE Superstar Commander Azeez
WWE Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews has found himself a loyal bodyguard in Commander Azeez in recent weeks.
Whilst Crews and Azeez appear as though they would be a stretch to be considered possible suspects, there could have been a hint this week on SmackDown.
Before Apollo Crews' match against Kevin Owens, Commander Azeez attacked Owens backstage and targeted the ribs of the former Universal Champion.
Following the attack on Rey Mysterio last week, the former WWE Champion clearly complained about his ribs. Whilst this is only a small detail, WWE could be dropping breadcrumbs for the WWE Universe to pick up in the coming weeks.
This could be leading to Commander Azeez and Apollo Crews looking for a Tag Team Championship match in the future, much like how AJ Styles and Omos were given a shot over on RAW.
Even further down the line, this could lead to a face-off between AJ Styles, Omos, Crews, and Azeez at Survivor Series if the storyline is able to last for a few months.
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