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The previous episode of WWE SmackDown saw The Usos defeat New Day in an instant classic. Also on the show, WWE teased Bray Wyatt's first feud while Shotzi became the number-one contender for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
Fans can expect the promotion to continue its build towards the upcoming Survivor Series: WarGames when SmackDown emanates live from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, on November 18, 2022.
WWE has announced that Shotzi will take on Shayna Baszler in the upcoming episode this week. Also, Sami Zayn vs. Butch and Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali in the first round of the SmackDown World Cup have been announced for the show.
On that note, let's take a look at five things that could happen this Friday night.
#5. Ricochet prevails over Mustafa Ali in an instant classic
The upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown will witness Mustafa Ali take on Ricochet in the first round of the SmackDown World Cup. However, this may not end too well for the former.
Given their caliber, an instant classic between Ricochet and Ali could be on the cards for Friday night. Expect the latter to compliment his rival well inside the ring and spellbind the audience with his performance. However, the former Heart of 205 Live may succumb to a loss in the end.
On another note, it would be interesting to see if WWE has Seth Rollins or Bobby Lashley showing up on SmackDown to cost Ali his match.
#4. Sami Zayn defeats Butch after interference from Solo Sikoa
Sami Zayn will take on Butch in singles action on the upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown. However, expect this to turn south sooner rather than later as The Bloodline and Brawling Brutes are likely to get involved in the bout.
WWE could have Sheamus and Ridge Holland engage in a brawl with The Usos. This could allow Solo Sikoa to help Sami prevail over Butch. The Honorary Uce is a hot favorite to win the World Cup, and fans can expect him to start his journey on a winning note on Friday night.
#3. Bray Wyatt lays waste to LA Knight on WWE SmackDown
The previous episode of WWE SmackDown saw the creative team tease Bray Wyatt's first feud since his return to the company. The Eater of Worlds engaged in a war of words with LA Knight before headbutting him to the ground.
Given how things unfolded last week, fans can expect an irate LA Knight to address Wyatt on the upcoming episode. The former NXT Superstar could fire verbal volleys at The Eater of Worlds. This could lead to Bray showing up to lay waste to Knight once again.
On another note, there's an online theory going that LA Knight could play one of the characters from Bray Wyatt's world. Hence, it will be interesting to see how this storyline progresses.
#2. Shotzi defeats Shayna Baszler, and Ronda Rousey attacks
Shotzi defeated Liv Morgan, Xia Li, Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville and Lacey Evans last week on WWE SmackDown to become the number-one contender for the Smackdown Women's Championship.
Following that, she was attacked by Shayna Baszler backstage. Given how things unfolded, WWE has announced that Shotzi will take on Baszler this Friday night. While the former is likely to emerge victorious, the night may not end too well for her.
WWE could have Shotzi defeat her rival to establish herself as a legit threat to Ronda's reign. However, she could be attacked by The Baddest Woman on the Planet after the match.
#1. Kevin Owens returns to help The Brawling Brutes & Drew McIntyre take out The Bloodline
The previous episode of WWE SmackDown saw The Brawling Brutes and Drew McIntyre engage in a brawl with The Bloodline. Given that, it seems WWE is headed towards a WarGames match between the aforementioned teams.
However, the babyface team is still a member short. While names such as Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman have been making the rounds as the potential final member of their team, Kevin Owens looks a bit ahead in the race.
WWE is reportedly planning to reveal Kevin Owens as the final member for the Men's WarGames match. WWE could have Team Bloodline vs. Team McIntyre engage in a brawl once again on Friday night, only for Kevin Owens to return and even out the odds.
Are you excited about the upcoming episode of WWE SmackDown? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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