7 Stars Most Likely to Make Shock Appearance on Fox's WWE SmackDown Live Debut
SmackDown Live's long-awaited debut on Fox this Friday night is shaping up to be one of WWE's most important events in recent memory, and for good reason.
Not only will the entire WWE Universe be tuning in to see what goes down on the show's new network, the program is also bound to bring in new viewers as well. To send the message that anything can happen on Friday nights, the company should go all-out with the episode and attempt to deliver as many memorable moments as possible.
Among those already announced for SmackDown's Fox premiere include Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Trish Stratus, Goldberg, Kurt Angle, and more. Additionally, Kofi Kingston will defend his WWE Championship against Brock Lesnar while Kevin Owens settles his score with Shane McMahon in a ladder match.
As big as those bouts are, they won't be enough to make the night as special as it could be. Between Superstars ready to return from injury, legends we haven't seen in several years and NXT prospects on the cusp of call-ups, there are a ton of familiar faces WWE could bring back for the grand occasion.
The following seven Superstars have the best chance of showing up on the first edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
John Cena
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John Cena is always down for the occasional cameo if his recent appearances at Raw Reunion and Raw 25 have been any indication.
Although he didn't appear in person at SmackDown 1000 last October, he did pop up in a pre-taped promo congratulating the show on its success. He would know more about that than anyone considering he called the blue brand his home for the first three years of his main roster run.
In addition to debuting as a member of the SmackDown roster in 2002, he evolved into a household name while there, winning the United States Championship three times and later the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21. His brief stint on the blue brand from 2016 to 2017 also resulted in some stellar storylines and matches.
Seeing as how he hasn't wrestled a match on WWE TV since January, Cena's immediate in-ring future is in question. At this point, it's doubtful he competes inside the squared circle before the year is through, but SmackDown's upcoming premiere on Fox would be the perfect place for him to set up his next high-profile program.
Whether he's interrupted by a debuting star such as Velveteen Dream (more on him later) or he crosses path with a former foe such as Kurt Angle, The Cenation Leader should show up in some form or fashion on Friday night.
WWE fans aren't able to see him usually (at least not as much as they'd like to), but this particular edition of Smackdown should be an exception.
Drew McIntyre
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Drew McIntyre is one of the few remaining Superstars who debuted as a member of the SmackDown roster years ago and has managed to remain relevant.
The Scot captured the Intercontinental Championship within months of his debut, and he has won the Raw tag team titles and NXT Championship since returning to the company two years ago.
Unfortunately, any momentum he had this year came to a screeching halt when he suffered an undisclosed injury following his loss in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament. Per PWInsider, McIntyre's in-ring return is imminent and should be coming as soon as there is a program in place for him.
The Scottish Psychopath returned to Raw in 2018 but is yet to join the blue brand on a full-time basis. Before that officially changes in the draft, he should leave a lasting impact on SmackDown's Fox premiere to get the WWE Universe talking about him again.
He's as intense as they come and has a high ceiling for success as a singles star. If, for whatever reason, Brock Lesnar doesn't leave that show with the WWE Championship in his possession, McIntyre would be a great possible contender in his own right.
Keep an eye out for the Scot on Friday Night SmackDown. He can strike at any moment and will want to make a name for himself when he does, which could come in a segment with one of the legends already announced for the show.
John Morrison
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It's been almost eight years since John Morrison was last seen in a WWE ring, but he appears to be on his way back if a recent report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider is to be believed.
The Californian took a leave of absence from the company in late 2011, and although many fans assumed he'd soon return, he ended up pursuing acting a lot longer than expected and honed his craft as a performer with Lucha Underground and Impact Wrestling.
Morrison turns 40 on Thursday, so it's now or never for him to make a comeback to WWE. Needless to say, the landscape has changed considerably over the past eight years, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't fit right in on either brand.
In fact, he called SmackDown his home for nearly a year from 2009 to 2010 and came close to capturing the World Heavyweight Championship while there. The blue brand will be emanating from his hometown of Los Angeles this Friday on Fox, so he has to be considered the most logical name to show up in some capacity.
The Shaman of Sexy will surely receive a strong reaction from the fans who have missed him, but ultimately he'll thrive as a heel the same way he did elsewhere.
Morrison has improved immensely in his time away from WWE and is ready to showcase his skills on SmackDown for the first time in a decade.
Sheamus
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There hasn't been a ton of buzz surrounding Sheamus' upcoming return to the ring, which might bode well for his chances of coming back on the premiere episode of Friday Night SmackDown on Fox because of how unexpected it would be.
The Irishman has been out of action with a neck injury since WrestleMania 35. He and Cesaro accomplished all they could together as The Bar, so perhaps it was best they went their separate ways in the Superstar Shake-Up.
The Celtic Warrior really came into his own on the blue brand upon moving there in 2011 and even won the World Heavyweight Championship as a member of the SmackDown roster the following year. He has expressed interest in chasing the intercontinental title to complete the "Grand Slam," and that belt resides on the blue brand.
Regardless of what his immediate future holds, Sheamus is bound to return around draft time, possibly as soon as Friday's SmackDown. He'd be a fantastic foil for any fan favorite on the show, including Kofi Kingston.
It's time for the WWE Universe to be reminded just how destructive Sheamus can be on his own. Wreaking havoc on one of the most important episodes of SmackDown ever would accomplish just that.
Velveteen Dream
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Of all the upstarts from NXT rumored to be in line for an imminent call-up to the main roster, Velveteen Dream has to be considered the most likely option.
Johnny Gargano and Matt Riddle could be brought up to Raw or SmackDown tomorrow and wouldn't feel out of place in the slightest, but based off their current creative directions in NXT, it doesn't look like they'll be gracing the grand stage of WWE any time soon.
Dream, on the other hand, no longer has anything tying him to the developmental brand. After an eight-month reign as NXT North American champion, he dropped the strap to Roderick Strong on NXT's USA Network debut show on Sept. 18.
Of course, Strong and Dream could be building toward a rematch on an upcoming episode of NXT TV or even at TakeOver: WarGames III, but it's not imperative the rivalry is revisited. Strong can move on to other opponents while Dream makes the move to SmackDown starting Friday night.
Dream has been main roster-ready for a while, and the blue brand sure seems like the better fit for him over Raw. If WWE really wants to introduce a fresh face to what should be its biggest SmackDown audience in several years, Dream would be the right guy to go with.
The sky is the limit for the former Tough Enough contestant, especially if he interrupts an icon such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or Kurt Angle in his debut.
Finn Balor
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Finn Balor took time off from WWE programming after SummerSlam to get married, and SmackDown's heavily touted premiere on Fox would be as good of a night as any for him to return.
The Irishman has bled blue since being drafted to SmackDown in the Superstar Shake-Up in April. Unfortunately, he hasn't done much of note on the show and his reign as intercontinental champion was largely inconsequential.
It's possible Balor returns to Raw in the upcoming draft, but SmackDown would be the best landing spot for him. Not only that, he'd also generate a ton of buzz from coming back on the episode with the most amount of eyes on it: Friday's Fox premiere.
If Balor wants to make an impact upon his return, he could interfere in the WWE Championship bout between Brock Lesnar and Kofi Kingston and rekindle his rivalry with The Beast Incarnate. That would set up Balor vs. Lesnar in a rematch from the Royal Rumble for a later date (or as early as Sunday's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view).
Regardless of how he's involved with SmackDown's first show on Fox, here's hoping he'll be better utilized this time around. There's no reason for him to continue to fly under the radar, and coming back with a bang on Friday night would only help his cause.
The Rock
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It's almost impossible to celebrate 20 years of SmackDown without The Rock, who coined the name of the show years before it became one of the longest-running episodic series in television history.
The blue brand was essentially The Rock's show from the get-go. He, along with all of the other Attitude Era's top stars, were responsible for establishing an identity for SmackDown for the first few years it was around.
Rock was the premiere pick in the 2002 draft lottery, and although he wasn't a regular on the program for most of that year, it was there where he became a record-setting seven-time WWE champion and engaged in a white-hot rivalry with Brock Lesnar.
That was essentially the end of Rock's time on SmackDown, as he returned as a member of the Raw roster the following year. However, the impact he had on the show in its formative years is still felt today, which is why it'd be a missed opportunity for him not to appear this Friday night on Fox.
Interestingly enough, it's been over three years since he last appeared for WWE at WrestleMania 32, meaning he's overdue for a comeback. He may have "quietly retired" from the ring during an appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan in August, but that doesn't mean he can't lay the smackdown on a Superstar or two if his movie schedule allows it.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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