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The RAW that followed SummerSlam had its fair share of highs and low points. If you want a glimpse of how it panned out, please check out my 'Best and Worst' post-show review column.
Somehow, I have a feeling that SmackDown Live will be the superior show this week. It just seems like with Roman Reigns in the brand, and with The Fiend likely to be a SmackDown Live staple, things are just more exciting on brand blue at the moment.
Here are 5 surprises that may happen during the show. While none of these twists may actually happen, even if one of them does, it'll be quite interesting.
Leave a comment and a note and let me know what you thought of WWE RAW this week...
#5 Erick Rowan interrupts Roman Reigns' match against Murphy
Roman Reigns is slated to face Buddy Murphy this week on SmackDown Live, and the two men have heat! After all, it was Reigns who went to the men's locker room, caught Murphy and confronted him for being at the scene of the crime where he had been attacked. Murphy would not divulge details until threatened with physical violence, upon which he revealed Rowan to be the man that attacked Roman Reigns on SmackDown Live.
If you caught the SummerSlam Kickoff show, you know that Rowan made a surprise cameo where he beat up Buddy Murphy as he was battling Apollo Crews. It is clear that something of this nature will happen when Roman Reigns and Buddy Murphy wage war this week on the blue brand.
This could all be leading to a Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan feud which is the big money feud which will be coming our way over the next few months on WWE television.
#4 Liv Morgan debuts her brand new avatar
Liv Morgan has all of the attributes that could make her a breakout star on SmackDown Live because she is truly the total package. For a variety of reasons, she hasn't received the same amount of screen time that we assumed she would back when the Riott Squad first split up. Not long ago, she lost a match after which she said that she would return after discovering who she really was.
The SmackDown after SummerSlam would be a great stage to debut this new gimmick because a lot more eyes will be on the product. Morgan could potentially be built up to not only challenge but dethrone Bayley too. I wonder if this new character would be like the 'Jersey girl' gimmick that she had back when she was in NXT.
We all saw how well a brand new repackaging worked for Bray Wyatt. Liv Morgan could really benefit from a change in character and attitude, if she got enough screen time. It remains to be seen if she'll be able to break out of the shadow of the Riott Squad.
#3 Charlotte attacks Bayley from behind, setting up a feud
As Sasha Banks destroyed Becky Lynch on RAW, most of us looked on with glee because we realized that this is exactly what fans wanted. Becky Lynch has been hot and cold since WrestleMania because a protagonist is nothing without an able antagonist to battle.
Similarly, Bayley's run, as good as it has been, needs someone who's as good as Charlotte Flair to really launch it to the next level, I fear. Ember Moon and Bayley had a decent match at SummerSlam, but because both women were babyfaces and there was no heat between them, nobody really cared.
I do believe that the feud should start right away, with Bayley cutting a promo in the middle of the ring and Charlotte Flair blindsiding high, riding her after her victory over Trish Stratus at SummerSlam 2019. Charlotte Flair established herself as the 'Queen' of all eras and now she wants to claim what's hers- the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Such a feud would not just be a treat for wrestling fans but also for Bayley, to elevate her to the next level.
#2 Brand new challenger for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Technically, the Intercontinental Championship is supposed to be the second-most important title in the blue brand, and it has been known as the 'workhorse' Championship over the years. Unfortunately, because of a multitude of talent in the roster, we've reached a point where Nakamura cannot get on to the SummerSlam card.
With no disrespect meant to Ali, with whom Nakamura has been feuding over the last few weeks, I do believe that were he facing a more credible opponent, he would have been on the SummerSlam 2019 card for certain. Aleister Black is a name that immediately springs to mind when it comes to an exciting challenger for the Intercontinental Championship.
I do believe that if Nakamura gets Black as his next opponent, which is a feud that can be teased on SmackDown Live, this will be a program that gets its due time on the blue brand over the coming weeks. Anything with Aleister Black just feels like a pretty big deal overall.
#1 The Fiend attacks yet another legend
Well, the fact of the matter is that Matt Hardy is a part of the SmackDown roster but because of the injury to Jeff Hardy, he has not been used. Could he be the latest victim of The Fiend's attack, considering that they used to be partners once?
This would be like a metamorphosis for Wyatt, a shedding of his former skin, removing all ties to the past. There is history here that can be explored and used to further another feud, where Wyatt claims the soul of yet another victim.
Maybe, if WWE has the time and patience to further the storyline, this could lead to the Hardy Compound, for one mega clash, down the line. We haven't seen a 'Final Deletion' style match in quite some time and this could be quite the clash, considering both men are extremely creative and they are not reluctant to explore the unconventional when it comes to telling a story.
This could be a very interesting pit stop for Bray Wyatt before he enters into a big-time feud next.
