Sasha Banks and Naomi or Bray Wyatt: Who Will Shock the World at WWE Extreme Rules?

Plenty of enthusiasm and optimism from fans surrounds Saturday's Extreme Rules event, which has the potential to be one of WWE's strongest shows so far in 2022 if everything is executed properly.

It's a loaded lineup on paper, and all six stipulation matches can be barn burners. A return of a familiar face would also guarantee a great show, and there are several notable names who still have yet to resurface on WWE.

The biggest stars the company can possibly bring back at the moment are Bray Wyatt and the duo of Sasha Banks and Naomi.

At the start of the summer, it looked unlikely that any of them would return in the foreseeable future, but Triple H taking the reins changed everything. Now, it's merely a matter of when and not if they'll be gracing the audience with their presence again.

A shock comeback at Extreme Rules would create quite the compelling cliffhanger, but between Wyatt, Banks and Naomi, which return has the best chance of coming to fruition?

As strong as the build has been for Extreme Rules over the last month, the most compelling part of the WWE product as of late has been the continuous teases for a mysterious individual going by the moniker of "The White Rabbit."

Amazingly, the perfectly produced viral campaign has played out entirely on social media, through QR codes, and during commercial breaks. The identity of "The White Rabbit" or anything to do with the creepy vignettes have not been outright acknowledged on WWE TV at all.

That has only added intrigue to the ultimate reveal, which is expected to go down at Extreme Rules.

The overarching theme of the teases heavily hints at Bray Wyatt being the one behind them. He has been gone from WWE since July 2021, when he was shockingly released, and hasn't competed or appeared for any other promotion in his absence.

WWE has its "season premieres" for SmackDown and Raw in the coming days, and while he could be saved as a surprise for one of those shows, it makes the most sense for him to be brought back at Extreme Rules, ideally at the end of the night to cap off the event on a high note.

In mid-May, Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of a Raw taping after reportedly expressing frustration with how the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship was being positioned and presented on the show. They were suspended soon after and stripped of the titles.

Even after nearly five months, their situation is still a bit of a blur with not much known about what happened in the immediate aftermath of it all.

For a good chunk of time, it appeared Naomi and especially Banks were as good as gone from WWE. Rumors of Banks receiving her release couldn't be confirmed, and both women have stayed silent on the matter.

Of course, Triple H taking over for Vince McMahon as the head of WWE's creative direction drastically increased the chances of a comeback for the decorated duo, and Extreme Rules could be where it finally happens.

Unlike with Wyatt, nothing has been teased for them in recent weeks, but the possibility of them both making a shock return at the event shouldn't be ruled out. The Philadelphia crowd would be extremely excited to see them and treat them like the stars they are.

Banks made headlines when she ditched her WWE username on Twitter, but considering she and Naomi have kept busy outside of the ring in their absence from the company and have further grown their personal brands, the move wasn't at all surprising.

The WWE Universe most certainly has not seen the last of them, but an imminent return isn't necessary.

What if WWE pulled off the ultimate shock at Extreme Rules by bringing back Banks, Naomi and Wyatt all in the same night?

It isn't common, but it's definitely an option worth considering. No one would be expecting it, and depending on who shows up first, it would make the next return later in the show even more surprising.

Either way, a returning star must pop up following the main event, whatever that winds up being, in order to ensure the show leaves viewers looking forward to what's next on Raw.

With Wyatt, there isn't any one obvious rival for him once he's back in the fold. He can realistically attack anyone once their match is over, but it may be even cooler for him to appear only for the show to go off the air abruptly.

Banks and Naomi, on the other hand, are limited to making their presence felt solely during or after the Raw Women's Championship ladder match. They can either help Bianca Belair retain her title or even the odds for her against Damage CTRL afterward.

It would be smart to only have Wyatt return and not have him overshadow Banks and Naomi, who deserve to have the spotlight to themselves.

As previously noted, Banks and Naomi could be gone from WWE for a few more months and their eventual returns would still be a big deal because of how much they mean to the women's division.

In other words, it would be pointless for them to be rushed back any time soon when no storyline currently calls for it.

If they're back on the sooner side, they can easily factor into whatever Triple H has planned for WarGames. If Bianca Belair needs two more allies on her side to take on Damage CTRL, Banks and Naomi should be the first women they call for assistance.

That's in addition to how Survivor Series (the new home of WarGames) will emanate from Boston this November, the hometown of The Boss. It would be booking malpractice for her not to be a part of that event in some form or fashion.

WWE needs to establish its women's tag team scene a little bit more before Banks and Naomi can be rejoin. It won't be long before they're back, and hopefully it will occur when fans least expect it.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.