5 Incredible surprise appearances we're expecting for SmackDown Live's first show on FOX

With SmackDown Live's FOX debut now two months away, WWE will be on high alert, doing everything they can to make their first show on their new network a success. FOX has invested quite a bit into the company now and they'll want proof early on that they didn't waste their money.

With that, the WWE will come out swinging, and that means bringing back some of the greatest legends from SmackDown's history. While it's not being advertised as an anniversary show of any sort, sometimes the best way to guarantee a bigger audience is to bring back some of the greats. We saw that with the Raw Reunion, which included stars and Hall of Famers such as Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Million Dollar Man, just to name a few.

With this big adjustment for SmackDown Live, WWE are going to have to give us both incredible competition and memorable moments. Why not start that off with someone who the WWE Universe is always excited to see?

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#5 Mick Foley

If you're looking for a feel-good moment, there are not many other people you can put on TV besides Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy that can get that reaction. Mick Foley is widely loved throughout the wrestling world, not just for the incredible moments that he gave us during his career or his happy-go-lucky attitude, but because every time he shows up, especially this year, someone tends to get a rub.

Back in May, Foley addressed the WWE Universe, revealing a brand new championship for the WWE Superstars to battle over. And while it may not have been well-received early on, the 24/7 Championship has been a highlight of every episode of Raw and SmackDown since its debut.

Through this moment, guys like R-Truth, Drake Maverick, Cedric Alexander, Titus O'Neil, Elias, and Jinder Mahal have been given a shot to entertain the masses. Clearly, it's worked out, as the various title change videos on WWE's YouTube channel have garnered millions of views apiece.

Foley returned to Raw for the Raw Reunion, giving a certain Superstar a more immediate rub this time around. As he was celebrating the night with the crowd (right there in Tampa, Florida), he was viciously assaulted by The Fiend, Bray Wyatt's demonic counterpart. Not only did Wyatt take out the living legend, he did so with Foley's own move, the Mandible Claw.

Both of Foley's appearances this year have been to help build the superstars of today and tomorrow. If there's a night we need to see that happen, it's SmackDown Live's first show on FOX in October.

#4 Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar has been targeted by two WWE Champions in the past two years around this time

The Universal Champion's first run in the WWE primarily kept him on SmackDown for most of those two years. Taking on SmackDown mainstays like Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero, and John Cena, Brock Lesnar's short but impressive stint was a major reason as to why the 2002-2004 era of the WWE was dominated by SmackDown Live, as far as which show delivered the better product.

Lesnar's personality really shined back then, and his highly competitive feud with the Olympic Gold Medalist delivered in almost every way possible. And while his comedic side may have taken a back seat, aside from Boom Box Lesnar, his in-ring prowess has never been better.

One of the most dominant champions that the WWE has ever seen, Lesnar is now a three-time Universal Champion. And though he's currently wreaking havoc on Monday nights, who would be able to stop the Beast Incarnate from getting into the building? After all, Survivor Series would only be six weeks away at that point, and he'll have to defend his spot at the PPV should he still be holding the title by then.

In the past two years, he's defeated two WWE Champions at the event, AJ Styles (2017) and Daniel Bryan (2018). If he's looking to hit the trifecta, he'll have to take on the WWE Champion again this year, whether it's the current champ Kofi Kingston, Randy Orton, or somebody else looking to make a name for themselves against the Genetic Freak.

#3 Edge

The Ultimate Opportunist could really kick SD Live on FOX off the right way

The majority of Edge's career in WWE was spent on SmackDown. The 11-time heavyweight champion's early years were spent alongside Christian and later on as part of the SmackDown-6, a group of Superstars known for their incredible in-ring skills that Paul Heyman built the show around.

Edge was destined for greatness, and when he returned to SmackDown in 2007, he delivered a shot heard round the world, cashing in the Money in the Bank Briefcase on The Undertaker to steal the World Heavyweight Championship. Now the Rated-R Superstar, he spent the rest of his in-ring career battling the likes of the Deadman, Jeff Hardy, Triple H, Kane, Chris Jericho, and Alberto Del Rio, never leaving the world title scene.

He was a staple on the Blue Brand, and it's hard to imagine nearly a decade of excellence from SmackDown without Edge. Considering the fact that he and Christian are still working with the WWE, with their show, The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness, connecting well with in-the-know fans so well, why wouldn't we see a few three-second poses from the duo, or at least another Cutting Edge? After all, the last one we saw was a pretty successful moment, to say the least...

#2 John Cena

The 16-time champion may have a free date in his busy schedule on October 4th

The leader of the Cenation has been noticeably absent from WWE programming this year. Aside from a few special appearances here and there, like his WrestleMania moment where he trounced Elias as the Dr. of Thuganomics, John Cena has been heavily focused on his projects outside of the world of sports entertainment.

In 2018, Cena had two major roles in Blockers and Bumblebee, two highly rated blockbusters. 2019 seems to be another huge year for his Hollywood career, as he's wrapped up filming for three films and is currently taking part in the filming of his fourth, The Suicide Squad. So his schedule maybe a little too busy to get any major feuds out of him this year.

That being said, Cena is one of the biggest Superstars to ever come out of the Blue Brand. Kicking off the Ruthless Aggression era, Cena was a huge part in attracting a new generation of fans for WWE. While older fans of SmackDown had The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Booker T, and Kurt Angle, the younger audience gravitated towards Cena who, nearly two decades later, can be placed in the "Greatest of All Time" discussion.

He was a huge part of SmackDown's success in the early 00s and it's hard to imagine that the company wouldn't try to bring him back for such a monumental event.

#1 The Rock

The Rock will more than likely come home for such a historical night

When the WWE Universe thinks of SmackDown, the first name that comes to mind is The Rock. The Brahma Bull may be the highest-paid man in Hollywood right now, but before that, he was entertaining the millions (AND MILLIONS) of fans around the globe in the ring.

The Rock often times called SmackDown his home, and that's a fact that the WWE has played up many times since the show's inception in 1999. While the ten-time champion may have quietly retired from in-ring competition, that doesn't mean he can't roll into SmackDown Live, pick up a microphone, and blow the minds of the WWE Universe.

The Great One has returned to the brand several times over the past fifteen years, and each and every time he's left the crowds begging for more. That electrifying pop when those iconic words echo throughout the arena is something that can't be duplicated by many other stars.

If you're going to give the WWE Universe a show to remember and a show that they need to tune into, there isn't any other Superstar that has the ability to draw even the most jaded fan back to SmackDown Live than The Rock.