WWE SmackDown: 5 Surprises that could happen - Jeff Hardy attacked and eliminated from IC tournament, Big return

So much could potentially take place on SmackDown this week and WWE would do well to ensure that the show is loaded with surprises in order to keep viewers hooked to the product. SmackDown hasn't been the best show in recent times, but it's been a great week of pro wrestling thus far and there's no reason why SmackDown can't deliver a solid show this week.

Here are 5 surprises that could really make the Blue brand exciting once again. There was a sense of unpredictability, of an anything-can-happen-at-any-time vibe back in the Attitude Era and the Ruthless Aggression era that seems to be missing in present-day SmackDown.

In any case, I will present 5 surprises that could potentially happen on SmackDown right here and I invite you to chime in with your comments in the section below, dearest reader.

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#5 Sheamus eliminates Jeff Hardy from the IC Title Tournament with a brutal attack on SmackDown

Daniel Bryan and Jeff Hardy are scheduled to mix it up in the semifinals of the Intercontinental Championship tournament but Sheamus can actually avenge his loss to his arch-nemesis by having him taken out before the match even begins, I believe. And SmackDown would then have to scurry and search for a brand new opponent for Daniel Bryan at the moment, at which time, Cesaro could show up.

Not only will this help in Sheamus bouncing back after his embarrassing loss but more importantly, it will ensure that two babyfaces do not have to clash in the middle of the ring in a tournament match on WWE SmackDown.

I know that we all say that the face vs. heel dynamic does not matter in the year 2020, but if you've seen the WWE style of storytelling, one has to admit it does!

#4 The Fiend returns to SmackDown to torment Braun Strowman

There is a very specific reason that Braun Strowman's last feud on SmackDown for the Universal Championship was against Bray Wyatt and not The Fiend. This is because there is a dream feud between these two unstoppable forces still waiting for us on SmackDown and of course, it could begin this very week on Friday night.

There is the very real threat of Otis cashing in when Braun Strowman is distracted and there is definitely no bigger distraction in WWE than The Fiend, the masked supernatural being who hangs above the SmackDown roster like a guillotine waiting to descend. And yes, because of a distraction from The Fiend, we could see Otis almost cash in his briefcase on Braun Strowman on WWE SmackDown.

Because both Otis and Braun Strowman are babyfaces, chances are that Otis won't take the sneaky way out when it comes to scoring a pin unless Braun Strowman is already distracted by forces beyond the control of Mr. Money in the Bank.

#3 AJ Styles challenges Otis for the MITB Contract on WWE SmackDown

So, now we know that AJ Styles is a full-time member of the SmackDown roster. He has moved from RAW and should become the top heel of the Blue brand in due course of time, alongside King Corbin and Bray Wyatt, going forward.

We also know that as long as he was on RAW, he wouldn't be able to settle the score with Otis, a man who was on SmackDown. In case you missed it, it was AJ Styles who retrieved the briefcase at Money in the Bank briefcase but it was Otis who couldn't ascend the ladder (we saw a glimpse of it in the go-home episode of SmackDown before Money in the Bank), who ultimately caught the briefcase.

Now that both men are on SmackDown, I have no doubt that this is an angle that WWE will be pursuing, going forward. If there is a heel who can help Otis ascend to the next level, it certainly is The Phenomenal One.

#2 Sasha finally asks for her SmackDown Women's Championship opportunity

Bayley scored a massive win against Charlotte Flair on SmackDown last week and with that, she's pretty much run through everyone in the roster. I don't think SmackDown fans want to see her take on Tamina Snuka again or Lacey Evans for the hundredth time. Ember Moon would have been the perfect opponent for Bayley but reports indicate that she will no longer wrestle.

And that just leaves us with Sasha Banks, who has created magic with Bayley back in her NXT days. Sasha Banks and Bayley have been at odds on SmackDown on certain occasions and a tease has been split, even though they are pretty much shown to be allies more often than not. And so, because the two of them are the best of friends, maybe Sasha Banks asks Bayley for a friendly title opportunity at some point down the line.

And that could be the beginning of a very memorable feud on SmackDown that stretches out over a lot of months.

#1 The Forgotten Sons ambush The New Day on SmackDown

With Miz and Morrison firmly in the Universal Championship picture on WWE SmackDown, it makes a lot of sense to have The Forgotten Sons, whom SmackDown creative has been building up as a discount Shield would be next in line to face The New Day. They have proved that they can go in the ring when it matters and for them to be thrust into the SmackDown Tag Team Championship picture at this stage pretty much ensures that they don't get the SAniTy treatment that we were scared of.

See, WWE could always put together Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura as a tag team unit and have them take on the SmackDown Tag Team Champions but from the looks of it, it will be The Forgotten Sons who get this honor from the way that they are being built at this moment in time. And so, to make the feud official, I can always imagine them ambushing the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The New Day, when they least expect it.