WWE star fired; jealousy leads to betrayal & more - 6 surprises that could happen on SmackDown (June 7, 2024)
WWE will head to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, this Friday for the penultimate episode of SmackDown before Clash at the Castle: Scotland on June 15 in Glasgow Scotland.
The show will feature Cody Rhodes' response to AJ Styles' attack on him from last week. Apollo Crews is slated to take on Angel Garza, while Johnny Gargano will go head-to-head with Grayson Waller. In addition, Jade Cargill is also set to battle Indi Hartwell. The Bloodline's storyline will also progress further as Solo Sikoa is scheduled to anoint Tonga Loa on SmackDown.
With Clash at the Castle just nine days away, WWE would want to feature surprises on the blue brand to create hype for the international premium live event. So without further ado, let's take a look at six possible surprises that could be in store for us on SmackDown tomorrow night.
#6. Nick Aldis fires AJ Styles from SmackDown
AJ Styles became desperate for a rematch against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes after losing to him at Backlash last month. The Phenomenal One faked his retirement after Nick Aldis refused to grant him a rematch and ambushed Rhodes last week.
After his attack on Rhodes, Styles is probably expecting that The American Nightmare will give him a rematch himself. However, WWE may add a twist in the storyline and have Nick Aldis fire The Phenomenal One from SmackDown.
Aldis may not want Styles on his brand anymore after he defied the SmackDown General Manager by faking his retirement, to get another title match when he was clearly told that he had to go to the back of the line to earn it.
This angle could lead to Styles going to TNA for a few months amid WWE's ongoing partnership with the promotion.
#5. LA Knight challenges Logan Paul to a US title match
LA Knight and Logan Paul have crossed paths on many occasions, but the two men have never faced off in a singles match. There has been no love loss between the duo ever since they qualified for last year's Men's Money in the Bank Ladder match.
In a backstage interview with Kayla Braxton on last week's SmackDown, The Megastar made it clear that he wants a shot at The Maverick's United States Championship.
Knight and Paul took jabs at each other on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week, which is likely to spill over into a confrontation between them on SmackDown. The Megastar could challenge Paul to a title match at SummerSlam.
It would make sense that WWE starts building towards the match from now as it would be a blockbuster bout between two popular superstars. Such a clash would ideally require decent build-up time. With Clash at the Castle: Scotland just a little over a week away, does not leave the Stamford-based promotion to hype up the rivalry, culminating in a title match in such a short timeframe.
As far as Money in the Bank Premium Live Event is concerned, Knight may want to compete for the MITB contract first before taking on Paul. The Megastar is also a strong contender to dethrone The Maverick, so SummerSlam would be an ideal place for his crowning moment.
#4. Kevin Owens crashes Tonga Loa's anointment into The Bloodline
Kevin Owens has been a long-time rival of The Bloodline and his relationship with the group remains the same even though the faction has undergone major changes.
After brawling with The Prizefighter last week, Solo Sikoa will anoint Tonga Loa, the man who helped Sikoa and Tama Tonga defeat Kevin Owens and Randy Orton at Backlash France, into The Bloodline. It is very likely that the segment will feature an interruption from Owens.
The Prizefighter will probably show up to attack The Bloodline, and he may even have some backup in the form of The Street Profits as Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins came out to help him against Sikoa and his men last week on SmackDown as well.
#3. Carmelo Hayes declares himself for the 2024 Men's Money in the Bank Ladder match
The Money in the Bank Premium Live Event is less than a month away, so WWE has started building up for it.
On the latest episode of RAW, Jey Uso became the first star to announce his intention to participate in this year's Men's Money in the Bank Ladder match. A SmackDown star could do the same tonight, and it could be Carmelo Hayes.
The former NXT Champion has been on a roll on the blue brand and has made it clear that he wants to make it to the top quickly. Winning the Money in the Bank contract would be an amazing way for him to accomplish that goal, and a declaration of his participation could be forthcoming tomorrow night on SmackDown.
#2. Cody Rhodes asks Nick Aldis for a match with AJ Styles at Clash at the Castle
Cody Rhodes was deceived into believing AJ Styles' fake retirement announcement last week on SmackDown, which led to The Phenomenal One assaulting the Undisputed WWE Champion.
The American Nightmare will be out for revenge and he would want to do it by proving a point against Styles in the ring. Therefore, he could ask SmackDown GM Nick Aldis to grant him a rematch against Styles at Clash at the Castle: Scotland.
WWE could make things even more interesting by having Rhodes pitch a stipulation for the match, which could see Styles' WWE career on the line.
#1. Grayson Waller turns on Austin Theory
A-Town Down Under won the WWE Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania XL earlier this year and has defended it once so far. The duo is seemingly set for a split already due to the miscommunication between them.
On last week's SmackDown, Tommaso Ciampa pinned Austin Theory after he got into an argument with Grayson Waller at ringside. Waller was taking credit for Theory becoming relevant again, which did not seem to please the latter.
The Australian star will take on Johnny Gargano on SmackDown and it will likely end up with Waller losing because of Theory.
Following the match, Waller could lose control and attack Theory. WWE would want a solid duo like DIY to head into SummerSlam with the Tag Team Championship, so A-Town Down Under's reign may come to an end soon due to Waller's inevitable betrayal.