5 Things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown: Top name set to turn heel after 2 years, top heel to win Money in the Bank this year?

Drew McIntyre and Sheamus (left); Pat McAfee (right)

Welcome to the penultimate edition of things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown before Money in the Bank 2022. It will be one of the most important shows of the calendar year, and this week's episode of SmackDown saw the build-up towards that.

So what happened this week? A shoutout to Pat McAfee for calling out Happy Corbin for SummerSlam as another match was made official. There was nothing subtle about his challenge, so we can't add it as a separate point. Either way, these interesting things were subtly hinted at this week on the blue brand:

#5. Adam Pearce's subtle character change

"Your in-ring career was a FAILURE"
@SonyaDevilleWWE spitting fire 😳🔥
#WWE #SmackDown https://t.co/YpirApYjlC

Adam Pearce has been an authority figure since the summer of 2020. This week on SmackDown, he had two major segments.

The first one saw him being forced to overturn his previous decision to put Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match. Due to strings pulled by Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns, the duo had to defeat The Undisputed Tag Team Champions, The Usos, in a tag team bout to qualify - which they did in the main event.

In another segment, Sonya Deville quietly moved to SmackDown and slammed Pearce, calling his in-ring career a failure. The seeds of a character change seem to have been planted, and it could happen by the time the summer begins.

This August will mark two years since Pearce became an on-screen role. Is a heel turn the right direction for him?

#4. Who has emerged as a quiet favorite to win the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match?

So as of now, @DMcIntyreWWE and @WWESheamus are OUT of #MITB.

BUT

If the two can beat @WWEUsos TONIGHT, they will be put back in the #MITB Ladder Match. #SmackDown https://t.co/5A31s5Q5ay

So far, five men have qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match. On RAW, we have Seth Rollins and Omos, while on SmackDown, we have Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, and Sami Zayn.

Omos will likely have a filler role; Sheamus has already won the briefcase, as has Seth Rollins. Drew McIntyre is expected to face Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle this September. So does that leave Sami Zayn as a potential favorite to win the briefcase? That could be the case this year.

The angle of Sami Zayn being an honorary Bloodline member essentially sets him up for a Money in the Bank victory, which could result in one of the year's best stories and lead to a big push.

#3. What is WWE doing to intensify the SmackDown Women's title feud?

"The closest you'll ever get to being a main attraction in this company, is dressing up like me."

@RondaRousey is not holding back 😬 #SmackDown https://t.co/OtPl45Y93N

The Ronda Rousey vs. Natalya feud isn't exactly the best. The match's outcome is already known, but at the same time, WWE doesn't have too many opponents for the SmackDown Women's Champion.

We presume that this will essentially be used to set up the return of Charlotte Flair. She and Rousey can then feud ahead of SummerSlam 2022.

However, WWE is subtly trying to make the feud between Natalya and Rousey more important than it is by adding all the personal elements of it, including comments on each other's bodies and political views.

#2. The Viking Raiders are back, and they could become a force to reckon with

😱😱😱

@Erik_WWE @Ivar_WWE #SmackDown https://t.co/GTOTOZnxlO

The Viking Raiders are back! They returned to SmackDown for the first time in a few months to take out Shanky and The New Day. They interrupted a monotonous dance segment and confirmed their status as heels.

This time, it looks like WWE is planning to push The Raiders seriously. Don't be surprised to see them in the mix for SummerSlam's undisputed tag team titles. They could even become the favorites to dethrone The Usos if The Street Profits fail to do so at Money in the Bank 2022.

#1. WWE has made it known how they plan to handle Gunther

Oh my.

@Gunther_AUT #SmackDown https://t.co/5NuCSRiaUn

Gunther is reaping the rewards of his hard work after he was told to lose weight. He has done everything right and has been rewarded with an Intercontinental Title run early into his main roster career.

With his dominant victory over Ricochet this Friday, WWE has made it clear that nobody is touching the Intercontinental Title anytime soon. Hopefully, Gunther's push on SmackDown can restore the lost prestige of the title.