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WWE is gearing up for The Greatest Royal Rumble Event in Saudi Arabia which is set to take place this Friday. The go-home episode of SmackDown Live witnessed familiar alliances, an unforeseen turn of events, and two unexpected losses that would've never crossed anyone's minds.
Daniel Bryan and The Miz not crossing paths was perhaps the only dull moment in the otherwise great show. The rivalry between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura only intensified, and some new storyline angles may be on the cards. Here are some of the moments that will surely get the fans talking over the week.
#5 No appearance by NXT Call-ups
The one field where Monday Night Raw has complete domination over SmackDown Live is its use of the NXT Call-ups. Superstars like Ember Moon, Authors of Pain, and Drew McIntyre have already made statements to their respective opponents.
The only NXT stars making a mark on the Blue Brand are The IIconics. SAnitY and Andrade "Cien" Almas were traded two weeks back, but are yet to make an appearance. SmackDown is in dire need of new talent, and there is no reason why WWE is taking so long in introducing two of the best NXT performers on the main roster.
An appearance by the either of them before The Greatest Royal Rumble Event would have opened a plethora of possibilities for new angles and storylines. The Creative is making a concerted effort to amp up their debut, and only time will tell if it was worth the wait or not.
#4 The Bludgeon Brothers losing their momentum
Jimmy Uso squared off against Rowan of the Bludgeon Brothers in what was seeming to be a one-sided contest, until Jimmy's wife, Naomi made the save. The distraction caused the Uso to pick up a surprising victory and hand Rowan his first loss (as part of The Bludgeon Brothers).
It will be interesting to see how WWE takes the storyline ahead, but the tag-team champions facing defeat just before their title defence might have an adverse impact on their momentum. It's still unclear what role does Naomi have to play in it.
Maybe The Bludgeon Brothers get their tag team partner in the form of Nikki Cross or even Alicia Fox. That would be a must-watch rivalry.
#3 Asuka facing defeat in her debut SmackDown match
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay faced Asuka and Becky Lynch in a tag-team match. After making a statement last week. Asuka, in her debut SmackDown match, almost took her team to victory before Royce rolled Becky up, intelligently putting her feet on the ropes and snatching the win.
With this victory, The IIconics are surely headed for a big push as the top heels of the women's division. For three weeks now, the two have been generating genuine heat from the WWE Universe, and it seems like they're next in line for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
As for Asuka and Becky Lynch, the officials better have some solid bookings for two of the best female wrestlers in the world, let alone WWE.
#2 Big Cass's promo on Miz TV
WWE scheduled a Miz TV segment involving Daniel Bryan which got the fans excited for the night. With what could've been a historic moment, Big Cass made his way to the ring instead of the former General Manager.
The WWE Universe was visibly upset seeing the 7-footer tall, but what happened next surprised everyone. Cass cut an amazing promo calling out Bryan comparing his earlier days with Bryan's current state and promising to break the “little man” once and for all so that he would never again be overshadowed by him.
WWE may have finally hit the jackpot with the repackaged version of Big Cass. As a tag-team wrestler, he never got the chance to captivate the crowd with the microphone. His today's promo was pure gold which may have laid the foundation for him to be the next big thing in WWE. His improved mic skills and a new heelish persona are expected to guarantee him a big push in WWE ahead.
#1 Nakamura spoiling the reunion
The main event of the night saw AJ Styles teaming up with Gallows-Anderson against Shinsuke Nakamura, Rusev, and Aiden English. After a Kinshasa to the back of Gallows's head, the heels picked up the victory.
What happened next was completely unpredicted. Styles attacked Nakamura, taking out his frustrations from the last two weeks, only leading Nakamura to hit him with another low-blow. Tuning up for Kinshasa, Karl Anderson took one for the team when he stepped in front of Styles. Sensing the opportunity, Nakamura taunted The Phenomenal One and hit another finisher on Anderson.
Nakamura seems to be getting in Styles' head, and come this Friday at The Greatest Royal Rumble Event, The King of Strong Style may shock the fans by destroying AJ Styles and becoming the new WWE Champion. Their rivalry is far from over, and no one can tell what's coming ahead.
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