WWE SmackDown before Royal Rumble Preview: Seth Rollins takes final shot at Roman Reigns, 2-time champion in huge showdown (28th January, 2022)

We are all set for WWE SmackDown’s go-home show before Royal Rumble 2022. The first of the big-four premium live events has drawn a lot of attention towards the product.

From delivering dominant performances to landing the final blow, top WWE superstars will look to make a strong statement to set the right tone for the upcoming event.

Here, we look at some of the things that could transpire on WWE SmackDown tonight. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#5 Seth Rollins visits Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown

Last week on WWE SmackDown, Seth Rollins won a huge advantage for his Universal Championship clash against Roman Reigns.

The Architect proposed that if he beat The Usos in a tag team match, the SmackDown Tag Team Champions would be banned from ringside for the title bout. The Trible Chief raised the stakes by stating that if Rollins' team lost the match, then he would have to forfeit his title shot at Royal Rumble.

The main event of the show then saw Seth Rollins team up with Kevin Owens to take on The Usos. All was going well until Reigns’ surprise interference. The Universal Champion hit Rollins with a Superman Punch that essentially allowed the latter's team to pick up a victory via disqualification.

It was shocking to see to Roman Reigns pull off such a move, but now he can no longer count on his cousins to help him retain the title.

Earlier this week on RAW, Seth Rollins confirmed that he will pay a final visit to The Tribal Chief on WWE SmackDown tonight. The two superstars will come face-to-face on the blue brand one last time before their championship match in a bid to make their rivalry more intense.

The expectations are high from this encounter, especially considering that the last meeting between Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley before their upcoming WWE Championship match was quite underwhelming.

We are likely to see the two former Shield brethren engage in a war of words and it would be naïve of us to rule out a potential brawl. We could see Rollins brag about his master plan while Reigns might want to justify his actions from last week by arguing that he wants to prove that he can defend his titles without any help.

This is one of the most exciting and well-balanced feuds ahead of Royal Rumble. Seth Rollins has never lost a title match against Roman Reigns and the latter is currently the most dominant superstar in the entire company.

It will be interesting to see who will have the last laugh in the final showdown between the two stars on WWE SmackDown tonight.

#4 Naomi finally gets her match against Sonya Deville on WWE SmackDown

Naomi has been involved in one of the longest-running feuds on WWE SmackDown. She earned her rematch against Charlotte Flair last week, but Sonya Deville once again interfered by donning the referee’s role.

The WWE official compromised Naomi’s shot at victory once again. It led to Adam Pearce finally booking a match between the two superstars.

After months of injustice, Naomi finally has a chance to silence Deville once and for all. This would also mark the latter’s in-ring return. However, it is uncertain if she will compete in the match as she could always bring someone else to take her position in the bout.

In either case, we hope to see their feud come to a legitimate end tonight.

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#3 Big E and Kofi Kingston reunite for tag team match on WWE SmackDown

Last week on WWE SmackDown, Kofi Kingston brought New Day member and former world champion Big E to watch his back during his match against Madcap Moss.

Kingston picked up a victory, following which E subjected Happy Corbin to a Big Ending. Tonight, we will see Kofi Kingston and Big E reunite in action for a tag team match against Corbin and Moss.

All four superstars can use a solid bout to build their momentum ahead of Royal Rumble. We are likely to see two-thirds of The New Day pick up a victory, and it would be exciting to see them work together once again.

It would be an advantage if they could stop Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss from reciting “jokes” on the show.

#2 Sami Zayn seeks redemption on WWE SmackDown

Sami Zayn has had a difficult couple of weeks on WWE SmackDown, as nothing has gone in his favor. He is currently involved in a feud with Jackass star Johnny Knoxville, who has had the better of the former Intercontinental Champion in their last few encounters. Zayn will be desperate to turn things around on the show tonight.

Not to forget, Sami Zayn is also the No.1 contender for Shinsuke Nakamura’s Intercontinental Championship. The latter has not defended his title in months, but WWE is likely to build up this feud after Royal Rumble.

However, it would still make sense to at least bring Nakamura face-to-face with his next challenger on the blue brand this week.

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#1 Royal Rumble chaos engulfs WWE SmackDown

Since this will be the final show before WWE Royal Rumble 2022, we expect to see a couple of matches involving multiple superstars. A six or eight-man tag team action would allow the creative team to bring together several top names and give them a chance to gain momentum ahead of Royal Rumble.

Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising to see chaos on the show that eventually leads to top superstars throwing each other over the top rope.

This is the first time in many years that there are no clear favorites to win Royal Rumble, both in the men’s and women’s divisions. Thus, tonight’s show could be dedicated to establishing a few strong contenders to make the upcoming battle more engaging.

It will also mark the dawn of WrestleMania season, so every superstar will be motivated to make the most of their opportunities.