SmackDown 1000 Preview: 16th October 2018

It's surreal to think of it. 1000 episodes of SmackDown. That's right. It was only 6 years ago when RAW hit its 1000th episode and now the blue brand joins the very same category. It's incredible to think that the show, named after The Rock's iconic catchphrase has come so far.

It's seen many Evolutions (pun intended) and many forms. It started off as an extension to RAW to further storylines but in 2002, WWE chose to wisely split the roster into two, making superstars exclusive to one brand. This turned out to be a great decision as it led to the creation of many different superstars, who took it to a whole new level. Post-Ruthless Aggression Era, it seemed like SmackDown had once again taken a back seat and become merely an extension of RAW.

It was 2016 when the brand split was reintroduced and a new era of SmackDown began. It saw many of the young and newer superstars take the opportunity and elevate themselves to a whole new level, with many months seeing the blue brand being the clearly superior show.

It's incredible to think of how far the show has come and tonight's show is going to be one of epic proportions. Let's take a look at what to expect from SmackDown 1000!

Rey Mysterio returns for a dream match

WWE announced last week that Rey Mysterio had officially signed full-time with the company. While it was an expected announcement, one announcement took fans by pleasant surprise: Rey Mysterio returning to take on Shinsuke Nakamura in a World Cup Qualifier on SmackDown 1000.

This is a dream match that we never thought we'd see. It's going to be interesting to see if Mysterio can hold up with the superstars of today. If he beats Nakamura, not only does it put him in the World Cup, but it may also directly put him in the United States title picture!