5 signs that WWE SmackDown could have a secret authority figure 

#1 WWE's Twitter made it seem as though the decision could be overturned

After being placed over @ShinsukeN by @WWERomanReigns and @WWEUsos, @ScrapDaddyAP has WON the #GauntletMatch on #SmackDown. 👀@WWERomanReigns vs. @ScrapDaddyAP for the #UniversalTitle at #RoyalRumble!?!? pic.twitter.com/xk4uQjjZvz

— WWE (@WWE) January 9, 2021

Last week on SmackDown, Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman made a statement when they handpicked the man they decided to face at the WWE Royal Rumble. Heyman ensured that WWE Official Adam Pearce was added to the match, before Jey Uso and Roman Reigns attacked Shinsuke Nakamura and ensured that he picked up the victory.

This would be the usual place where a General Manager or at least an authority figure would have stepped in and made it clear that this isn't the ethical way to do things.

Of course, Adam Pearce is the authority figure, and he wasn't even aware that he had won the match after Uso super-kicked him in the face.

After the match became official and the announcer noted Pearce's win, WWE's Twitter sent out an update which had a question mark at the end of the match at the Royal Rumble. This led to the belief that the match wasn't yet considered official and could be overturned by anyone higher up in the company in the coming weeks.