10 HUGE WWE SmackDown Season Premiere Predictions You Need To Know

WE ARE WATCHING FOX.

The Rock Randy Orton
WWE.com

WWE needs this to go well.

A heavily, heavily publicised Fox Network debut sees SmackDown loaded up with one of its biggest ever cards, if not the biggest. The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Bill Goldberg and a laundry list of the best of the rest join Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch and some of present day's biggest hitters as the company throws absolutely everything at show that simply has to meet or surpass expectations.

The card itself speaks to it, even if it's been overwhelmed by the galaxy of stars peppered throughout it. Kofi Kingston's WWE Championship clash against Brock Lesnar feels high stakes even if many may dread the return to the status quo with 'The Beast' on top.

Elsewhere, Kevin Owens fights to rid the world of Shane McMahon right before he can impose his will on this new era of SmackDown, whilst The Four Horsewomen wrestle in front of what could be their biggest ever television audience.

It's got everything, but WWE have done nothing with that before. New voice of AEW Jim Ross often talks about "cash" and "creative" on his podcast being deciding factors in most wrestling deals, and Vince McMahon has certainly thrown one of those things at it. Can he keep focussed enough to make sure the other holds up?

WWE needs this to go well. He needs this to go well.

10. Setting The Stage

The Rock Randy Orton
WWE.com

One for diehards and those that have campaigned for longer than Reddit's very existence as well as those that just admire WWE's aesthetic absurdities, a throwback to one of the beloved SmackDown stages of old could set the tone for a memorable evening as well as the grand changes ahead.

Raw's half-pipe uniquely contrasted the prior stoic set-piece it replaced, and SmackDown's should aim to distance itself from another Network's show - not least with them both looking to carve out fresh identities in next week's draft.

A nod to either the old giant silver fist or ovaltrons that added to the B-Show's identity between 1999 and 2008 would be particularly sweet, even if it's just set dressing to another monolithic lightboard.

WWE hasn't ever been richer, nor in need of showing the world they're biggest North American wrestling company in the world as result of said riches. This ostentatiousness could be as much a nod to their now-vital over-40s demographic as well as their inordinate wealth.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett