WWE SmackDown - 5 Surprises that could happen - Roman Reigns' devious plan, title change on the go-home show before Royal Rumble? 

We are all set for the final episode of WWE SmackDown ahead of Royal Rumble 2021. There are a lot of interesting surprises that can unfold on the Blue brand, including title changes and impending heel turns. Moreover, we expect to see top Superstars make a bold statement ahead of the upcoming pay-per-view.

In this article, we will take a quick look at a few surprises that can happen on WWE SmackDown this week. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#1 Roman Reigns makes a big statement on WWE SmackDown

Roman Reigns will be desperate for revenge

Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens engaged in one of the most brutal feuds on WWE SmackDown last year. The storyline involving both the Superstars has already seen them both lock horns for the Universal Championship twice in the previous few weeks. They are now getting ready to lock horns for the third time with the Universal Championship on the line at the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

It would be fair to say that Roman Reigns is not happy with the fact that he was tricked into another title match with Kevin Owens. Thus, The Tribal Chief will undoubtedly look forwards to end this rivalry with their Last Man Standing match on Sunday. But before that, Reigns might want to make a huge statement by avenging the punishment he took on WWE SmackDown last week.

"My back hurts because I've been carrying this damn company for YEARS now!" - @WWERomanReigns #SmackDown @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/GJnhyW99Lo

— WWE (@WWE) January 23, 2021

A week ago, we saw Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman belittling Adam Pearce once again. The latter was irritated because of the constant taunts and demanded a match against Heyman. Later in the show, a backstage segment showed Roman Reigns urging Heyman to fight like a man and save his own reputation on WWE SmackDown.

Pearce and Heyman were then scheduled to lock horns in the main event of WWE SmackDown. However, right before the match, they revealed that Heyman had indeed borrowed a page from Pearce’s book. He implied that he was injured and Reigns replaced him in the match. The Head of the Table then brutally assaulted Pearce before Kevin Owens stopped him.

🗣 THROUGH THE TABLE!!!! 🤯@FightOwensFight just sent a MESSAGE to @WWERomanReigns!#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/6fkq47P4bc

— WWE (@WWE) January 23, 2021

It is important to note that Reigns did not have Jey Uso on his side. On the other hand, Owens was driven by his anger against Reigns, and he left no stone unturned in brutalizing Reigns in order to make his case ahead of a huge title match. Finally, KO put Reigns through the table, and the champion will now look for his revenge on WWE SmackDown.

It is expected that he will turn the tables against Owens on WWE SmackDown this week by subjecting his challenger to a similar beatdown. We could also see Reigns add a condition to their upcoming title match that would force Owens to give up on this feud if he fails to win the title at Royal Rumble.

#2 Big E loses his Intercontinental Championship on WWE SmackDown

A new champion could be crowned on WWE SmackDown

Last week on WWE SmackDown, Apollo Crews got an opportunity to challenge Big E for the Intercontinental Championship. The two have been feuding for a while now, and the storyline has continuously teased an impending heel turn. It is almost confirmed with the way Crews is presenting himself as a challenger.

Unfortunately, their last match ended in a disqualification after Sami Zayn decided to interfere during their in-ring battle. It is possible that the creative will now book a triple-threat match between Zayn, Crews, and Big E for the Intercontinental Championship on WWE SmackDown’s go-home episode before Royal Rumble.

If that happens, we could see Crews walk out with the IC title this week. Allowing Big E to lose his gold will free him up ahead of Royal Rumble. He has gained a lot of momentum, and it will leave room for a possible Royal Rumble victory, following which Big E can challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. It would be interesting to see what is in store for these Superstars on WWE SmackDown this week.

#3 Apollo Crews confirms his alliance with Roman Reigns and Jey Uso on WWE SmackDown

This alliance would be huge on WWE SmackDown

One of the most exciting developments on WWE SmackDown involves Apollo Crews, Roman Reigns, and Paul Heyman. The Blue brand has already teased this alliance, and we hope to see it turn into reality pretty soon. It is possible that we will see Apollo Crews join Reigns’ entourage this week itself, especially with Crews eyeing a title.

The perfect opportunity to book the alliance between Reigns and Crews would be during the latter’s title match against Big E. It would help create a new stable, protect the current champion, and sow the seeds of a rivalry between Big E and Roman Reigns as we move closer to WrestleMania. As for Reigns, he would love to have another backup on WWE SmackDown.

In all honestly, this storyline could be a turning point for Apollo Crews in WWE. He was one of the breakout Superstars last year and has shown his potential inside the ring. All he needs is a couple of good storylines that will establish him as a legitimate threat on WWE SmackDown. The fans will surely love to see this alliance create interesting angles on the Blue brand.

#4 Bianca Belair turns heel on WWE SmackDown

Bianca Belair could steal the show on WWE SmackDown

Bianca Belair is one of the most promising Superstars on WWE SmackDown and the entire women’s division. The creative have pushed her as a strong contender for a few months now, and she is one of the top favorites to win the women’s Royal Rumble match. She is expected to challenge Sasha Banks for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania, but there are still a few swerves that could be a part of this feud.

Sasha Banks is currently a babyface and has teamed up with Belair over the last few weeks. It doesn’t look like WWE will have her turn heel anytime soon. Instead, they could turn Bianca Belair into a heel which will certainly account for a big surprise ahead of Royal Rumble. Both Superstars are incredibly talented and could deliver an engaging feud on WWE SmackDown in the coming months.

The only problem with this booking would be the presence of too many heels on WWE SmackDown’s women’s division. The creative can manipulate that situation by turning Belair into an anti-hero and make it tough for the fans to pick sides. It would certainly be an exciting twist ahead of one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year.

#5 WWE SmackDown tag team title match added to the Royal Rumble card

This would be an interesting addition to the Royal Rumble match card

Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode won the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships earlier this month. They have only focused on The Street Profits, but we have recently seen them in altercations with Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura. The latter quietly turned to a babyface a few weeks ago, and we could see them eyeing the tag team gold on the Road to WrestleMania.

That said, we can’t completely rule out Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins from the equation. While the creative might not want to take the titles away from Ziggler and Roode so soon, it is possible that the SmackDown Tag Team Champions will have to defend their gold at Royal Rumble. Could we see a triple-threat tag team match added to the pay-per-view card?

So far, WWE has only confirmed three matches for Royal Rumble, apart from the titular matches. On the final episode of WWE SmackDown, we expect to see new bouts added into the mix. Somehow, WWE has not kept a lot of things about Royal Rumble as a surprise. Thus, we may see more of these jaw-dropping moments on Friday night itself.