Legendary tag team to reunite; 7-time champion to return with a new character? 5 WWE stars who can be Kevin Owens' mystery partner on SmackDown

Kevin Owens has a short list of allies on WWE SmackDown as the former Universal Champion does not get along with everyone very easily. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller are two names that KO has had problems with for a while.

On last week's episode of SmackDown, The Prizefighter defeated Waller and Theory in a Triple Threat Match. He is now scheduled to team up with a mystery partner against A-Town Down Under in a tag team match on the USA Network premiere of the blue show on Friday.

So without further ado, let's take a look at five WWE stars who could show up as Kevin Owens' mystery partner.

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#5 Randy Orton reunites with Kevin Owens

Randy Orton formed the tag team R-KO with Kevin Owens on SmackDown earlier this year. The two legends have fought many top guys and factions like Logan Paul and The Bloodline this year.

Following his last appearance alongside Owens in the main event of SummerSlam, The Viper went to RAW for a feud with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. He could return to the blue brand on Friday as he lost to The Ring General at Bash in Berlin.

SmackDown's premiere on the USA Network is going to be a big show and Orton's return will definitely get a huge reaction from the crowd.

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#4 LA Knight

LA Knight is another big name who gets huge reactions from the crowd every week. The United States Champion is not scheduled to do anything on Friday yet, so he could team up with Kevin Owens against A-Town Down Under.

It could also lead to Owens and Knight joining forces with Andrade for a Six-Man Tag Team match against A-Town Down Under and Carmelo Hayes in the future.

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#3 Jimmy Uso returns to WWE SmackDown

Jimmy Uso got assaulted by Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga before being kicked out of The Bloodline on the SmackDown after WrestleMania XL. He seemingly embarrassed his family by losing to Jey Uso at The Show of Shows, which led to him being punished.

The former Tag Team Champion has been on the sidelines due to an undisclosed injury since April, but he reportedly got cleared to wrestle a while ago.

Friday's SmackDown is going to be a big show, so a significant return would be a great way to generate buzz for it. Jimmy Uso arriving as a babyface to help Kevin Owens would be a huge surprise after which he could target The Bloodline for revenge.

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#2 Apollo Crews

Apollo Crews is not regularly featured on SmackDown, but he made headlines last week because of his victory over the debuting Giovanni Vinci. The former Intercontinental Champion left the Italian star stunned after pinning him within five seconds.

WWE may continue pushing Crews on the upcoming episode of the blue brand, so he may help Kevin Owens get a win over A-Town Down Under.

After building Crews up a bit by pairing him with a top star like Owens, Triple H could have Vinci get revenge on him. The former Imperium member could squash Crews, which may also be the start of his push in the mid-card scene.

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#1 AJ Styles returns as a babyface

AJ Styles lost an "I Quit" Match to Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle and has been off WWE programming since then. The seven-time WWE champion has been rumored to return for a while, so it could happen on the upcoming episode of SmackDown.

He has been a heel since the end of 2023 and WWE seemingly does not have any solid plans for him as a bad guy, so he may return as a babyface for his next run. The 47-year-old veteran has also hinted that he will retire soon. Having his final match as a good guy will be the right decision, which is why he may help Owens to turn face on Friday.

The Phenomenal One called SmackDown the house he built for years. Therefore, Triple H may book him to return on a big night for the blue brand.