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While Raw continues their build-up towards Royal Rumble, SmackDown is busy shaping up the Clash of Champions card, scheduled to take place on 17th December. The final PPV of the year is bound to spring up a host different twists with direct repercussions on the Rumble card.
Live Coverage and Comments from SmackDown Live( 5th December 2017)
And for WWE to finish off 2017 with a bang, every episode of Team Blue has to be a home run. So will the perennial heels -- WWE Creative -- get it right this time around?
The probabilities are thankfully high as a first-time ever match coupled with the ambiguity regarding the futures of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are the major highlights going into this week's episode.
So before we get to what Shane O'Mac and co. have in store for us tonight, let's take a look at the most important points to note:
#5 The Bludgeoning continues
The repackaged duo of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan have been running roughshod on the WWE roster since their return two weeks back. They were the catalysts behind Hype Bros' split last week and we're sure the carnage isn't ending anytime soon.
For an act that seems destined to fail, the only saving grace would be if WWE feeds the team some credible opposition while also booking the former Wyatt Family members as forces to be reckoned with.
So who will step up to the behemoths this week? The irrelevant Ascension? The entertaining Fashion Police? Random local enhancement talents? Or will the intimidating duo go looking for a fight in the Uso Penitentiary?
The possibilities are endless.
#4 New Day vs. Rusev Day
Before the preachers of positivity get another chance to regain the SmackDown Tag Team titles at Clash of Champions, they will take on the team of Rusev and Aiden English this week in a match that promises to be filled with comedic anecdotes.
In case you didn't know or are just one of the haters, every day is Rusev Day. It's an undisputable fact.
New Day may get the better of the dynamic duo of Rysev and English but they will always be irrelevant when compared to the realest day in the WWE!
It's a shame that the Bulgarian Brute, who was destined to become a main event talent at one point, has been reduced to a joke. Nonetheless, his alliance with the son-in-law of Eddie Guererro is quite over and, for all we know, tomorrow's episode could be the beginning of a fruitful push.
#3 A Glorious surprise for the Lone Wolf
Baron Corbin's US title reign seems like it's finally going somewhere with the inclusion of Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler into the title scene. In hindsight, we're still not sure what Ziggler is doing here and the neither does the Show-Off.
In all honesty, he's just there to eat the pin. In the meantime, the two men who could be doing the honours at Clash of Champion are all set to take each other on for the first time ever this week. Don't expect it to be a 5-star classic as it may not even have a conclusive finish.
A Ziggler interference or a cheap underhand tactic from the heel champion are the go-to booking decisions.
#2 A Samoan roadblock for the Queen
Say whatever you may about Tamina, the 39-year-old veteran is one of the better in-ring performers in the women's division across WWE. A solid performance at Survivor Series has raised her stock and this week she sees herself in a big match against the Champion herself, Charlotte Flair.
Flair has been confirmed to defend her title against the woman she won it against, Natalya. Charlotte vs. Natalya has all the making of a show-stealer if WWE allocates ample time for the match. But the champion could be dealt a major blow days before her defence if Tamina steps up her game and manages to momentarily knock the Queen off her throne.
Will hard-hitting Samoan, with the help of the Ravishing Russian, be able to overcome the Flair scion or will the champ continue her momentum leading up the upcoming PPV?
#1 It's still the Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens show
The fallout of the closing stages of last week's show is the major talking point heading into WWE's latest offering from the blue side. Zayn defied the orders of his boss and interfered in Owens' match against Randy Orton last week, clobbering the Viper with a chair and helping his best friend pick up a huge win against the legendary WWE Champion.
After being barred from being ringside for the no DQ showdown, Zayn took advantage of the loophole in the stipulation and blindsided Orton on the ramp; far away from the ringside area.
Will the rebellious yet smart actions of the Underdog from the Underground prove to be too costly? Will Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan make the problematic duo pay for their instinctive decisions or will their cold war between the authority figures continue?
What role will Zayn play in the Owens-Orton feud? Will WWE make it a tag team rivalry with the Apex Predator getting a reinforcement in the form of Shinsuke Nakamura?
Hopefully, we'll get all the pertinent answers in a few hours.
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