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Former Royal Rumble winner Rey Mysterio could make his return on this week's episode of WWE SmackDown after a successful recovery from an injury.
The 2006 Royal Rumble winner was betrayed by Santos Escobar on the November 10, 2023, episode of SmackDown. This dastardly conduct came after Rey's loss at Crown Jewel at the hands of Logan Paul. Mysterio then resorted to social media to notify his followers about his successful knee surgery. This surgery became the catalyst for the attack by Escobar and his subsequent absence from television.
Rey's last WWE match took place on November 4 at the Crown Jewel event, when he fought Logan Paul in a failed effort to retain the United States Championship. Rey had been dealing with a torn meniscus for around three months before the match. As time passed, the injury worsened, prompting Rey to hand over the championship to Paul before taking a break for surgery.
The anticipated duration for his injury to heal ranges from six to eight weeks. Provided that everything proceeded as planned, this would allow Mysterio to take part in the Men's Royal Rumble and make his way towards WrestleMania 40.
He could probably make his comeback on SmackDown this week, considering that Escobar is set to compete against Kevin Owens in the United States Championship Tournament Final. In doing so, Mysterio could potentially interfere and prevent Escobar from securing the opportunity to challenge Logan Paul for the championship. However, the 2024 Royal Rumble match would serve as a more suitable platform for his return.
It remains to be seen if he will return this week or if he will be a surprise entrant in the Men's Royal Rumble match. We'll have wait and see.
What is planned for WWE SmackDown this week?
The January 5, 2024 episode of SmackDown is being billed as New Year's Revolution. The matchups slated for this week's program are listed below.
- AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and LA Knight will collide in a triple-threat match.
- Iyo Sky will defend her WWE Women’s Championship against Michin
- Kevin Owens vs. Santos Escobar in the tournament final to become the No. 1 contender for the United States Championship
- Pretty Deadly: Elton Prince and Kit Wilson vs Butch and a partner
What do you think will transpire in this week's episode? Sound off in the comments section below.
