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When WWE SmackDown went off the air last week, the world was abuzz with anticipation and excitement based on Retribution storming the ring all at once. There has been a lot of good on WWE SmackDown over the past few weeks, leading up to SummerSlam 2020 and this is a good thing because the shows haven't really been the same without a live crowd in attendance, honestly.
Maybe WWE SmackDown and RAW will enforce some kind of socially distanced crowds in the future, but until then we'll have to make do with the NXT trainees cheering on the babyfaces and booing the heels. And the surprises will have to keep on rolling on WWE SmackDown as well, to make the episodes entertaining and to keep the viewership numbers up, over the long haul.
So, with that said, here are 5 surprises we could see on WWE SmackDown this week.
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#5 Retribution member wins the WWE SmackDown battle royal to determine Bayley's next challenger
Is there anyone in the WWE SmackDown roster that seems ready to take on Bayley for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship at the moment? One could say the same for RAW and NXT as well. Well, someone like Charlotte Flair could always come back and win the whole thing but that would just be going back to the well.
What if a Retribution member randomly unmasks and enters the ring and goes on to win the whole thing? It would be the perfect way to introduce someone like Chelsea Green or even Vanessa Borne on WWE SmackDown roster in a pretty big way. Many have yearned for the return of AJ Lee to a WWE SmackDown ring, but that is, of course, a distant dream.
Is this a scenario you would perhaps be happy with?
#4 Alexa Bliss starts showing romantic feelings for Bray Wyatt on WWE SmackDown
Last week, on WWE SmackDown, even The Fiend recoiled when Alexa Bliss seemingly made what almost seemed like romantic advances towards him. As many have said on Twitter already, it almost seemed like Alexa Bliss was letting him in, to begin the next phase of her transformation on WWE SmackDown.
Alexa Bliss may slowly be morphing into a dark character, maybe not Sister Abigail as many have speculated but someone who could be the queen of the Firefly Funhouse for sure, in the days that follow.
Thus far, during her WWE SmackDown run, Alexa Bliss has only been a fraction of the character that she once was, back when she was a heel. This could be a way for the company to capitalize on her acting skills and have her embrace the darkness that lies within her.
And then she could be the reason that Braun Strowman loses the WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam this year, in the biggest twist of the year.
#3 Braun Strowman names a frightening special stipulation for his big SummerSlam 2020 match on WWE SmackDown
You have to understand and appreciate the fact that this is the third encounter between WWE SmackDown Superstars Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt. And for the two men to go their separate ways following this match, it cannot be just another regular match but the two WWE SmackDown superstars need to obliterate one another in a match with a very special stipulation.
Seven years ago, there was a Ring of Fire match at SummerSlam, and the sight is something that fans speak of, to this very day. It can easily be recreated for this occasion, especially because there won't be fans in the arena to see these WWE SmackDown stars perform and SummerSlam needs a match that feels special and looks different.
But, it could also be an 'I Quit' match, with Alexa Bliss involved, where Braun Strowman only quits when The Fiend threatens to inflict more violence on Braun Strowman's lady friend (someone he reportedly doesn't care about).
#2 Sasha Banks enters the battle royal on WWE SmackDown, says she wants 3 belts
As Stephanie McMahon said during her cameo last week, Bayley will have to defend her WWE SmackDown Women's Championship against the winner of a battle royal featuring superstars from WWE SmackDown, RAW, and NXT. And one of them could certainly be Sasha Banks, who could say that she wants a third title. It's clear as day that WWE has been teasing a feud down the line between the WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley and the RAW Women's Champion Sasha Banks.
Sasha Banks doesn't even have to win the whole thing, to be fair, but just enter the match so that the seeds of her feud with Bayley are sown.
It can be written off for the moment on WWE SmackDown but could come back to haunt Bayley at a later date when she eventually turns on her best friend. Both Bayley and Sasha Banks know that the ultimate money feud involves the two of them battling in singles action.
#1 WWE SmackDown Superstar Sheamus turns face
If you watched the action from the past week, one of the most surprising things on WWE SmackDown was the heel vs. heel feud between King Corbin and Sheamus. One of the explanations for the same is that Sheamus could be on the verge of turning babyface because there's no chance at all that the audience will get behind King Corbin as a good guy.
Many are of the opinion that Sheamus and King Corbin will come together to form a team on WWE SmackDown and that may very well be the case, of course, but then it won't be mentioned in a list of potential surprises. One has to think that if WWE decides to swerve us all and turn Sheamus babyface, it could shake things up.
Imagine a babyface Sheamus taking on The Fiend for the WWE Universal Championship after SummerSlam 2020 has concluded.
Speaking of WWE SmackDown Superstars (well, former ones), be sure to tune in and catch Erick Redbeard on the Sportskeeda Instagram channel.
