Backstage News On Tonight's WWE SmackDown And If More Returns Are Expected
A week ago, Karrion Kross, former NXT Champion, made a surprise return to WWE, with Scarlett Bordeaux by his side. Kross may not have had his signature entrance, but he did ambush Drew McIntyre before making a clear indication to Roman Reigns that his reign as WWE Undisputed Champion was "on the clock." Kross and Scarlett return after being released back in November — they were following in the footsteps of Dakota Kai, a former "NXT" Women's Tag Team Champion who had also been let go from the company but came back at WWE SummerSlam alongside IYO SKY, who competed in "NXT" as Io Shirai and whose future on the main roster had previously been uncertain.
The following "WWE Raw" kept pedal to the metal with more surprises, such as an unnamed Dexter Lumis attempted to hop the barricade (the former "NXT" star was arrested before any kind of incident could happen). While no other returns took place, there were other chaotic occurrences throughout the program leading fans and talent alike to speculate: What does Triple H have planned next? And will we learn more on tonight's "SmackDown?"
Reported Plans For 8/12 SmackDown
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, there are indeed several things to look forward to for tonight's presentation from the blue brand. Although we didn't get the pomp and circumstance of the "NXT" Karrion Kross entrance last week, the "full presentation" of Kross and Scarlett is on tap for tonight, meaning it's very likely time to fall and pray. Meanwhile, former "NXT" Women's Champion Shayna Baszler earned her shot at the "SmackDown" Women's tlast week in a gauntlet match, and a contract signing between Baszler and Liv Morgan is also scheduled for tonight's show. The recently suspended Ronda Rousey will supposedly take part — no surprise considering the longstanding relationship between Rousey and Baszler, who were two of the "Four Horsewomen of MMA" alongside Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.
While they didn't have any specifics, Fightful was told that "the returns aren't stopping soon," and there's a good amount of talent still up for grabs when it comes to potential returns. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae remain free agents since making their exit from WWE earlier this year, and with the exception of "Swerve" Strickland, all members of Hit Row remain on the market. There's also the added element that current "NXT 2.0" stars could see their way up to the main roster — Santos Escobar, for example, recently teased a main roster run, and he happens to be fighting Tony D'Angelo this Tuesday in a match where if he loses, he's gone from "NXT."