SmackDown Preview: Vince McMahon's rival to return, Popular star to be added to Extreme Rules title match?

So it's time for another episode of SmackDown Live - the very first one of July. Last week was interesting, but this week, there's quite a bit of anticipation because people probably think that Eric Bischoff will be handling things going forward, starting from this week.

A part of that is true. Eric Bischoff is fully expected to be present on-screen for SmackDown Live, which means that Vince McMahon's old rival will be returning. However, his role as Executive Director is expected to begin on the SmackDown after WWE Extreme Rules 2019.

Speaking of WWE Extreme Rules 2019, the card is quite impressive, though we can't really call it "stacked". The SmackDown side of things is interesting but once again, RAW superstars find themselves competing for a SmackDown title, something which can be a bit irksome for those who enjoy the brand split.

Either way, expect an extremely interesting and happening episode of SmackDown Live as we get to the build of Extreme Rules. Here's what to expect tonight!

#5. What does Eric Bischoff's arrival mean for SmackDown Live?

Eric Bischoff could make serious changes

Eric Bischoff is expected to make his presence known on SmackDown Live. It's crazy to think about it after all these years because he was the RAW General Manager and even then, that was a shock back in the day.

However, from all the reports, it seems as though both Heyman and Bischoff's vision will be implented over a long-term period, so expecting change from tonight will be nothing short of unrealistic.

What we can expect, however, is for him to appear and perhaps address the WWE Universe and let the locker room know who's in charge now. It's certainly going to be interesting to see what McMahon's old rival is up to.

See WWE Smackdown Live Updates, Highlights of event, & more on WWE Smackdown Latest updates page

#4. Will Nikki Cross get added to the Extreme Rules title match?

Did Sarah Schreiber get into Nikki Cross' head?

It's no secret that Alexa Bliss has found a nice little weapon in Nikki Cross. Ever since bringing her out of catering, she's managed to put the spotlight on Cross, just as long as Cross helps her do her dirty work.

It seems like a fair exchange at first, but it really isn't. Last week, Nikki Cross defeated Bayley to earn Alexa Bliss a title shot and not herself. She's been on a roll lately and on RAW, she defeated Carmella after The Princess of Staten Island pinned Bliss in a matter of seconds.

With Cross having so much momentum by her side, Sarah Schreiber informed her that the WWE Universe feels Nikki Cross should be facing Bayley and not Alexa Bliss. Bliss furiously said "No comment" and dragged Cross away.

We believe that some way or the other, Nikki Cross will find herself inserted into the title match, making it a Triple Threat at Extreme Rules.

#3. The New Day to pursue Daniel Bryan & Rowan?

Last week, The New Day made quite a statement and practically confirmed that they're next in line for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship. On RAW, they pinned and eliminated Daniel Bryan & Rowan in an elimination match (before getting wiped out themselves by The Revival).

On SmackDown, not only did Big E & Xavier Woods beat them in a non-title match, but they even beat them in an eight-man tag team match right afterwards, where they teamed up with Heavy Machinery to take on Bryan, Rowan Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.

On RAW, their luck hasn't been very great. They succumbed to defeat to Samoa Joe and The Viking Raiders, despite technically beating The Viking Raiders by DQ right before that.

With that being said, The New Day are used to setbacks and tonight, we'll likely see Big E and Xavier Woods have a renewed focus on the SmackDown tag team titles.

#2. Will Sonya DeVille & Mandy Rose continue to torment Ember Moon?

Ember Moon hasn't had it very easy on the blue brand

Ember Moon would have hoped that moving to SmackDown Live meant that she would finally be able to show her incredibly unqiue talent that she got acclaim for on the indies and in NXT.

However, she hasn't had too much luck and Sonya DeVille and Mandy Rose are to blame. They've basically been tormenting her since she arrived on SmackDown Live, trying to force her to read that magazine that Mandy Rose was a part of and even knocking down her Nintendo Switch (and it's expensive!).

Last week, Ember Moon looked to get a measure of revenge against Sonya DeVille, but Mandy Rose's constant distraction prevented that from happening. Will The Shenom finally get her retribution this week or is it going to be the same thing over and over?

#1. Kofi Kingston to bounce back from a devastating loss on RAW

Many people didn't realise it, but ever since becoming WWE Champion, Kofi Kingston has been on a 21-match win streak in all competitons. All of that came crashing down by one coquina clutch by Samoa Joe.

Kingston didn't tap, but he did pass out. Joe made an emphatic statement like never before, making the WWE Champion pass out. With that win, there's absolutely zero doubt that he earned the WWE title shot that he's getting at WWE Extreme Rules 2019.

However, Kofi Kingston is going to look to bounce back tonight in a big way, so don't be surprised if he calls out Samoa Joe for a war of words. However, he shouldn't be naive enough to expect a face-to-face confrontation. Samoa Joe is the kind of killer who attacks from behind. For all we know, tonight may not be Kofi Kingston's night either!