WWE SmackDown Predictions: Karrion Kross Will Replace Drew McIntyre

WWE SmackDown is on the road to WWE Clash at the Castle 2022. In this week’s episode, there are two scheduled matches: Gunther (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship and the continuation of the women’s tag team championship tournament. Charlotte Flair is scheduled to return. Also, Karrion Kross returned to the WWE with Scarlett Bordeaux last week. Will Karrion Kross replace Drew McIntyre as the number one contender in the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns at Clash at the Castle?

In terms of the upcoming PPV, there are officially three matches scheduled thus far: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title, Liv Morgan (c) vs. Shayna Baszler for the SmackDown Women’s Title, and Bianca Belair, Asuka, & Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Dakota Kai in a six-women tag match. At the very least, it is expected that Seth Rollins vs. Riddle, Edge vs. Finn Balor, and the finals of the women’s tag team championship tournament will be added to the match card.

With that being addressed, it’s now time to preview and predict the scheduled matches and segments that will actually occur on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

WWE SmackDown is scheduled to take place on August 12, 2022, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT live on FOX. Here are some predictions for this week’s show.

Will Karrion Kross Replace Drew McIntyre? [Segment]

On last week’s WWE SmackDown, Karrion Kross returned to the WWE with Scarlett Bordeaux to viciously attack Drew McIntyre and send a message to Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The seeds have been planted for Kross to either replace McIntyre in the world title match against Reigns or get added to the world title match to make it a triple threat match. Since Karrion Kross is reportedly being booked as the #2 heel behind Reigns, it would not be surprising at all to see him booked for the world title match at WWE Clash at the Castle 2022.

Prediction: Karrion Kross Will Replace Drew McIntyre

Gunther (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura [Intercontinental Championship]

On this week’s WWE SmackDown, Gunther is scheduled to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura earned this title shot by defeating Ludwig Kaiser, who has been subjected to a plethora of lethal knife edge chops by Gunther on a weekly basis as a form of punishment due to his continuous losses. Gunther will retain the title against Nakamura here because his reign is far from over and should not end on a SmackDown, especially if this new era in WWE plans to bring back prestige to the title by finally putting it on PPV.

Prediction: Gunther

Will Charlotte Flair Return? [Segment]

On this week’s WWE SmackDown, Charlotte Flair is scheduled to return in front of her hometown crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina. Indeed, the PNC Arena is advertising that Charlotte Flair will be in attendance. Charlotte was last seen when she lost the SmackDown Women’s Championship to Ronda Rousey in an “I Quit” Match at WrestleMania Backlash 2022. In storyline, Charlotte suffered a “fracture of the radius” after that match with Rousey as a way to write her off television for her upcoming wedding with AEW’s Andrade El Idolo.

Henceforth, it would make sense for her to avenge Rousey at Clash at the Castle in a non-title feud as a momentum build for a future title opportunity against Liv Morgan.

Prediction: Charlotte Flair Will Return