SmackDown before MITB 2020 Preview: 3-time World Champion to return tonight, top Superstar to miss go-home show? (May 8, 2020)

#2 Will Sami Zayn miss SmackDown go-home show before Money in the Bank 2020?

What's next for the IC Champion?

Over the last few days, few reports circulating in the media have suggested that the reigning Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn has refused to work ahead of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Therefore, we might not see him on tonight’s episode of SmackDown, which could make it difficult to predict what’s in store for him at MITB 2020.

In some ways, the way we are living right now is more "normal" than how we were living before all this.

— Sami Zayn (@SamiZayn) May 2, 2020

Dave Meltzer reported that there’s a high chance that the IC title will not be defended on Sunday’s PPV. In the Wrestling Observer podcast, Dave Meltzer was quoted saying,

“Even though Zayn is IC champion and Mania seemed to start a long-term program with Bryan, Bryan was always booked to be in MITB before Zayn made the call not to attend the recent tapings.”

In the absence of Zayn, we might see SmackDown Superstars Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro in a few backstage spots. They might also look for an interesting feud, while Zayn’s ongoing rivalry with Daniel Bryan seems to be put on hold for now. It will be interesting to see how this storyline will pick up once Zayn makes his return to SmackDown.