Issues with returning stars, secretly working with major faction - 5 reasons why Xia Li was revealed as the mystery attacker on WWE SmackDown

WWE SmackDown this week was a very memorable show. Uncle Howdy appeared live in front of fans for the first time, and John Cena revealed that he'd be wrestling on the blue brand's final show of 2022.

Another noteworthy moment came from the opening bout. Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai and IYO SKY defended the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles against Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox. When Morgan and Nox were on a roll, a mysterious hooded figure struck and cost the likable duo the win before being taken out of the arena by security.

The mysterious assailant was brought before an angry Adam Pearce, who uncloaked the star in a video posted on social media. The mystery attacker was then revealed to be SmackDown's Xia Li, who didn't look at all mournful over her actions.

While fans now know who the attacker was, there's still the question of why.

Why did Xia cost Tegan and Liv the tag team titles? Was it a personal grudge with one of the stars involved in the bout? Was she a hired gun?

Below are five reasons why Xia Li was revealed as the mystery attacker on WWE SmackDown.

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#5. Damage CTRL may have paid Xia Li off

Damage CTRL

Damage CTRL is one of the most dominant groups in WWE today. The group formed upon Bayley's return to programming at SummerSlam following an injury. She brought IYO SKY and Dakota Kai along with her, and together the trio dominated Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown.

Still, despite the group being two-time tag team champions since the titles were reintroduced onto television, they don't always win. Kai and SKY briefly lost the tag titles to Alexa Bliss and Asuka, plus Bayley has been unable to dethrone Bianca Belair.

Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL may have paid off Xia Li to help make sure they retain the titles. Li hasn't been a regular on television as of late, so she likely jumped at the chance to take care of business in exchange for payment. Xia, as a mercenary for hire, could be quite interesting.

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#4. Xia may believe Tegan Nox and Liv Morgan didn't earn their title shot

Xia Li's reasoning behind attacking Liv Morgan and Tegan Nox could simply come down to her own unique morals and ethics. She may have believed that the popular tandem didn't deserve a tag team title opportunity.

Some fans also questioned why a new team without major wins under their belts received a title opportunity so quickly. There are certainly a few good reasons. Most notably, there simply aren't many teams in the division. Additionally, Tegan had earned a tag team title match alongside Shotzi prior to her release.

Regardless of its justification, if Xia believes it shouldn't have happened, then she may have sought justice. From her warped perspective, stopping an undeserving team from being the champions may be the justice she was after.

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#3. She may want to join Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler

Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler may be the most deadly duo in professional wrestling and WWE today. The pair strike fear in their opposition, but they've also taken every opportunity they can to inflict pain on the rest of the locker room.

The duo put Natalya out of action. Shortly after, they did the same to both Raquel Rodriguez and Shotz. If the mixed martial artists have it their way, they'll likely take out the entirety of the locker room one by one.

Xia may have decided if she can't beat them, join them. One way to avoid their onslaught is by choosing to be on their side. Additionally, Xia is a martial artist and striker. Her style could fit in tremendously well with Baszler and Rousey. Her goal may be to join the duo and make it a fully-fledged stable.

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#2. Xia Li may have an undisclosed issue with Liv Morgan

There are numerous potential reasons for Xia's seemingly unprovoked attack on the duo of Tegan Nox and Liv Morgan. Notably, however, it is her intensity upon being revealed by Adam Pearce implying that there may be some serious animosity between herself and one or both members of the tag team.

Xia appeared quite angry, and while it could have been because she was dragged away by security, there was a chance she and one of the stars have some kind of beef. WWE may use this angle to tell a story retroactively.

Li may reveal that she and Liv Morgan were once friends turned enemies or perhaps that they've always disliked one another. Regardless of the reasoning, WWE may come up with, Xia may have attacked the tag team for a previously undisclosed altercation or issue of some kind that will now see the light of day.

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#1. She may be tired of returning stars taking up spots on the WWE SmackDown and RAW rosters

Emma recently returned to WWE

Perhaps the reason why Xia Li attacked Tegan Nox and cost her and Liv the tag team titles has nothing to do with The Miracle Kid but instead The Girl with the Shiniest Wizard. More to the point, Li may have an issue with returning stars taking screen time and opportunity away from her.

It's no secret that the talented Xia Li hasn't been featured regularly on SmackDown since joining the brand. She was often cast aside after appearing for a week or two. Li is likely understandably frustrated by this, especially when many former stars have been brought back while she has sat on the sidelines.

Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, B-Fab, Emma, and now Tegan Nox are some of the stars recently rehired who are featured prominently almost every week on WWE TV. Xia and Emma already had a confrontation several weeks ago, possibly indicating that her issues with both the Australian and the Welsh star are linked.