From the WWE Rumour Mill: Possible new member of Team SmackDown revealed

What’s the story?

With Survivor Series less than three weeks away, PWInsider.com is reporting that Shane McMahon looks set to feature on the SmackDown team for the second year in a row. Furthermore, other outlets are speculating that McMahon may do so as team captain, which would make sense given the news regarding Kurt Angle from this week's showing of Raw.

In case you didn’t know…

McMahon appeared on the SmackDown team back at last year’s Survivor Series show, when he teamed with Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles to face a Raw team comprised of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman.

SmackDown would ultimately score the victory that night, but not before McMahon himself picked up a concussion following a hard landing after coming off the top rope and taking a spear from Reigns.

Going in depth

PWInsider.com is suggesting that McMahon will be joined by Orton, Styles, Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura on the five-man SmackDown team.

Admittedly, Orton had already been named as team captain, after defeating Sami Zayn on last week’s show. But if McMahon were indeed to be added to the line-up, it wouldn’t make a great deal of sense for one of his supposed subordinates to be given the reigns ahead of him, hence the speculation about him potentially assuming the captaincy.

What's next?

Expect the situation regarding McMahon’s possible role on the team to be addressed on this evening’s showing of SmackDown. Also, don’t be surprised to see the Raw roster show up to retaliate after last week’s “Under Siege” segment.

Author’s take

Shane McMahon may not be most peoples’ choice to join the ranks of Team SmackDown, but in fairness, it would at least work from a storyline perspective, given McMahon’s role as SmackDown Commissioner, not to mention the fact that a Raw authority figure has already been inserted into the match.

Also, McMahon’s involvement would help set up a potential run-in from recent dissidents Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, which again would make sense given recent developments on the show.

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