Roman Reigns leaves, Nick Aldis announcement – 5 things to expect from WWE SmackDown after Crown Jewel

The upcoming edition of WWE SmackDown is poised to serve as the critical fallout show for the blue brand in the wake of the events at Crown Jewel 2023. The dominance of The Bloodline once again came to the forefront as Roman Reigns successfully defended his title against LA Knight, while Solo Sikoa delivered a resounding victory over John Cena in his first-ever singles match at a premium live event.

With the anticipation building for Survivor Series 2023, this SmackDown episode gains added significance. Following the announcement of Monday Night RAW's WarGames match for the upcoming event, this edition of the blue brand will lay the initial groundwork for the much-anticipated event from the SmackDown side.

With that being said, let's discuss five things fans could expect from tonight's edition of SmackDown.

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#5. Roman Reigns might announce another vacation from the company on SmackDown

One potential development that fans could anticipate is an announcement from The Tribal Chief, possibly declaring another hiatus from the company following his triumph over LA Knight. Although the Undisputed Universal Champion is not currently advertised for the upcoming show, the responsibility of delivering the message in his absence might fall to Paul Heyman, who serves as Reigns' Special Counsel in the company.

Notably, Roman Reigns is not featured in the promotional material for the company's upcoming premium live events, which include Survivor Series, Royal Rumble 2024, and Elimination Chamber 2024.

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#4. AJ Styles returns to confront The Bloodline

Another major highlight that fans can expect during the upcoming show is the highly anticipated return of AJ Styles to the Blue brand. The Phenomenal One has been noticeably absent from television following a backstage assault by The Bloodline members during the September 22, 2023, edition of SmackDown.

However, he is currently advertised by the company for tonight's show, suggesting his imminent comeback.

Upon his return, Styles is likely to confront the Samoan faction and seek retribution for their previous attack, laying the groundwork for a potential future showdown between Styles and Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Title.

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#3. Nick Aldis might announce Brand Warfare Survivor Series match

As the anticipation builds for Survivor Series 2023, tonight's show is poised to potentially showcase a major and unexpected announcement from Nick Aldis. This announcement might involve the initiation of a traditional Brand Warfare match between RAW and SmackDown, in addition to the much-anticipated WarGames match.

With Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce taking on the roles of exclusive General Managers for the blue and red brands, respectively, the company has strategically teased conflicts between the two on several occasions.

Given Survivor Series' history of featuring the concept of Brand Warfare, a potential scenario of Nick Aldis challenging or announcing Brand Warfare against Monday Night RAW and Adam Pearce may unfold. This might be possibly done following a heated backstage conversation between the two.

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#2. Santos Escobar challenges Logan Paul on SmackDown

Following his surprising victory at Crown Jewel 2023, Logan Paul has secured his first WWE title in the form of the United States Championship. However, this triumph has not been well received by Escobar, who has openly expressed his discontent with The Maverick's championship win. This displeasure might lead to Escobar issuing a challenge to Logan Paul for a United States Championship match on tonight' show.

Escobar may also emphasize his desire to avenge Rey Mysterio, as Logan resorted to underhanded tactics to secure a victory over Mysterio at Crown Jewel. This potentially sets the stage for a highly anticipated showdown between Logan Paul and Escobar for the US Title.

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#1. LA Knight might seek revenge against Jimmy Uso on SmackDown

Having endured a defeat at Crown Jewel 2023 due to significant interference from Jimmy Uso, LA Knight is likely to seek redemption against Jimmy on the upcoming edition of WWE SmackDown.

Moreover, if AJ Styles makes his much-anticipated return and confronts the Samoan faction, LA Knight might align himself with Styles to level the playing field against The Bloodline.