3 Ways WWE could make sure that Wrestlepalooza is a must-watch premium live event

WWE is just a day away from hosting Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis, and Triple H has gone all out to book a stacked card to live up to the hype. The premium live event is scheduled to take place tomorrow at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and it happens to be the Stamford-based promotion's streaming debut on ESPN.

Ahead of the PLE, the company is set to host the go-home edition of SmackDown tonight. The show will see the United States Championship Open Challenge Match between defending champion Sami Zayn and Carmelo Hayes. Additionally, Cody Rhodes is set to appear to hype his Undisputed WWE Championship match against Drew McIntyre tomorrow night.

Now, let's look at three ways WWE could make sure that Wrestlepalooza is a must-watch PLE through several unexpected events on tonight's SmackDown:

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#3. Randy Orton may take out Drew McIntyre

After Drew McIntyre took out Cody Rhodes on the post-SummerSlam edition of SmackDown and revealed his interest in dethroning the latter as Undisputed WWE Champion, The American Nightmare made his return last week and challenged McIntyre to a title match at Wrestlepalooza.

This happened after The Scottish Warrior defeated Randy Orton in the main event and was about to Claymore The Viper through the front of the commentary desk, similar to what he did to The QB1 last month. Before he could do that, Cody Rhodes returned to a massive pop and saved the 14-time World Champion.

That said, Randy may look to seek revenge on Drew tonight. The Apex Predator may take out the former World Heavyweight Champion via the Punt Kick, leaving Cody without an opponent for Wrestlepalooza.

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#2. WWE may later announce that Cody Rhodes will face a mystery opponent at Wrestlepalooza

If the above scenario plays out and Drew McIntyre gets ruled out of the upcoming PLE, the company may still go ahead with Cody Rhodes defending his title at Wrestlepalooza. However, it may announce that the identity of his opponent will be revealed at the event itself, heightening fans' interest in the 40-year-old's upcoming Undisputed WWE Championship defense.

A similar situation happened in 2022, when the Stamford-based promotion booked Seth Rollins to face an unannounced opponent at WrestleMania 38. The Visionary's challenger ultimately turned out to be The American Nightmare, who made his blockbuster return to the global juggernaut after nearly six years.

If the Triple H-led creative team opts to do this, it could make The American Nightmare's title defense at the Indianapolis premium live event a must-watch affair.

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#1. Sami Zayn may announce the US Championship Open Challenge for Wrestlepalooza

Since capturing the WWE United States Championship from Solo Sikoa on the go-home edition of SmackDown ahead of Clash in Paris 2025, Sami Zayn has proven to be a fighting champion, defending the title every week via an open challenge.

The 41-year-old is scheduled to defend his gold against Carmelo Hayes on tonight's episode of SmackDown. However, it's unlikely that a title change will take place, given that the Canadian recently won the championship.

Following his potential win, The Underdog from The Underground might announce that he would host an open challenge for his title at Wrestlepalooza, with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis later making it official.