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SmackDown Live has often been seen as the inferior cousin to RAW. One wonders if the fortunes of the blue brand can turn around, with Eric Bischoff sitting at the helm.
At this point in time, we are mid-way through the King of the Ring tournament, and we'll get to see two more clashes on this week's episode. This will be the conclusion of all the first-round matchups in the tournament.
But there's a lot more planned for this week's episode, and I urge you guys to read on to find out exactly what McMahon, Bischoff, and everyone else have in store for the WWE Universe. I urge you guys to leave a comment and let me know exactly what you're excited about or even something you may not necessarily be enthused about.
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#5 The Viper is ready to strike
At a time when only the high-flyers get applauded and 'you deserve it' chants, Randy Orton's charisma, and exceptional heel work can usually go unnoticed. Bear in mind that during the beatdown on The New Day on RAW, when he first came together with The Revival, he did something so devious and despicable that had it happened in real life, we'd have been sick to the stomach! He made his opponents watch their teammates get destroyed.
And the fact that he was driven away with a steel chair the night after may not necessarily sit well with the top heel on SmackDown Live. There's a big possibility that he will come out for revenge and retribution against Kofi Kingston this week. If you remember just what he did to Jeff Hardy's ear, you'll have a fair idea of just how sadistic he can truly be.
#4 Chad Gable gets a brand new name?
So, there have been rumors circulating that Chad Gable's name will be changed to Shorty G very soon indeed, based on the fact (you guessed it) that he's not a very tall man. As strange and unexciting as this sounds, this is substantiated by the fact that Shelton Benjamin has been making fun of his height in recent SmackDown episodes. Benjamin has also been acting supremely weird, rolling his eyes around, and I hope and pray that WWE has a plan!
Now Chad Gable takes on Shelton Benjamin in the first round of the WWE King of the Ring tournament and I wonder if this is the beginning of an alliance between the two men once again. Bear in mind that WWE seems to have no plans for either man, so this gimmick at least keeps them on TV, especially if it works out for the two. Jokes about a person's height may not seem funny to you, but that is textbook WWE humor.
What none can deny is the fact that Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin could potentially tear the house down in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament because they know each other very well.
#3 A clash for hardcore fans
What happens when two hungry individuals who've come up to the main roster from 205 Live get to tear it up on SmackDown Live and showcase to the fans in attendance that the purple brand is worth checking out? We will know the answer this week when Buddy Murphy takes on Ali.
Bear in mind that this is a clash that should cater to the hardcore fans, fans who understand and appreciate excellent in-ring work over skits and drama. It may be a wise move to have this match ahead of AEW All Out, which will cater to a very similar audience too.
I fully expect Buddy Murphy to pick up a big win in this match because Daniel Bryan will not put you over unless you're someone that WWE has big plans for, in the days to follow. He's done the same with Ali as well, but Ali's push got cut short prematurely when, out of the blue, he suffered from an unfortunate injury leading to what has become known as KofiMania across the wrestling world.
You will need seatbelts for this contest, because these men will go at it, at two thousand miles/hour!
#2 Bryan and Rowan want Roman Reigns to apologize
Okay, let's set the record straight first. There was a lot of confusion around who the man who was unmasked at the end of SmackDown Live last week was, with various conspiracy theories emerging at once. Thankfully, Daniel Bryan cut a promo recently where he said that the gentleman in question is a member of the crew.
Honestly, I think that ultimately, it will be unveiled that it was Daniel Bryan who orchestrated this whole scenario. But for now, I have a feeling that we'll keep moving around in circles until Clash of Champions approaches, with Roman Reigns uncertain about who attacked him and with new red herrings appearing on every single show. It will be a much closer show to say, Elementary, than something like WWE SmackDown Live.
In any case, Bryan and Rowan have demanded an apology from Reigns and from what we know about The Big Dog, even though he may be the top babyface in the company, he doesn't really seem like the apologizing kind, truth be told. Which is why I believe that Reigns will apologize to Rowan and Bryan through a flurry of fists this week.
#1 Will The Fiend show up, out of the blue?
The last time we saw The Fiend, he was on RAW and had just taken Jerry 'The King' Lawler out. It was a very shocking turn of events considering we'd all assumed that he was done with WWE Hall of Famers, following his match with Finn Balor.
Considering that he missed RAW this week, I wonder if there's a slim possibility of him showing up on SmackDown Live instead, maybe to pick a fight with one of the members of the current roster. Maybe he costs Buddy Murphy his big match, and this leads to a program between Murphy and The Fiend.
Ideally, I'd like to see him take out Matt Hardy, who's not only a legend (so he fits the victim profile, sorry too much Mindhunter over the past few days), but also has a lot of history with Bray Wyatt, having not only teamed up with him but also having captured gold together. It would be a fitting end to their tale and a passing of the torch in a way, from one demented and outrageous character to the next!
See WWE Smackdown Results, Highlights of the event, & more on WWE Smackdown Results page
