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We are all set for SmackDown’s go-home show before The Horror Show at Extreme Rules 2020 PPV scheduled for this Sunday. Ahead of the upcoming PPV, WWE will look to create more hype around the matches booked for the weekend.
As of this writing, the Superstars from SmackDown will be involved in two different title matches.
Firstly, Bayley will look to defend her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Nikki Cross at Extreme Rules. In addition, her best friend and tag team partner Sasha Banks is set to challenge Asuka for the RAW Women’s Championship.
On tonight's episode, we will see a title match unfold. While WWE will look to add more fuel to these storylines tonight, the show will also feature a mystery guest and the return of a popular segment.
In this article, we will take a look at a few things that can unfold on SmackDown tonight. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Mystery guest to appear on SmackDown tonight
Earlier today, WWE announced via Twitter that SmackDown Superstar Alexa Bliss would be hosting a mystery guest on the show tonight. WWE haven't hinted at any names, but the graphic for the announcement suggests that the guest is a woman.
While some have suggested that Bliss’ guest is none other than her best friend and tag team partner Nikki Cross, it doesn’t really seem like a probable option. After all, WWE have no reason to keep Cross’ appearance a secret unless she is undergoing a gimmick change which is highly unlikely.
With that being said, this appears to be a promising segment which could see the SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and her best friend Sasha Banks show up. A brief altercation could also lead to a match, but it is important to note that both Bayley and Sasha Banks are on the match card for Sunday’s show.
Therefore, another possible outcome of this segment could be a match between the guest and the host. With Nikki Cross booked for the PPV, this would be a good opportunity to have Alexa Bliss involved in a match, even if it’s a one-off encounter.
Out of all the possible scenarios, the best one would be to see an NXT Superstar making her main roster debut. It would make for a good surprise and will definitely help in boosting the viewership of SmackDown’s go-home show before the upcoming PPV. The main roster women’s division needs interesting feuds to break the monotony and having a Superstar from the Black and Gold brand might just do the trick.
#2 AJ Styles vs Matt Riddle on SmackDown tonight [Spoiler]
WWE Superstar Matt Riddle made his main roster debut on SmackDown last month. So far, he has been great on the Blue brand and he was reportedly praised by Vince McMahon for his promo where he explained why he wrestles barefoot. Matt Riddle is currently involved in a title feud with AJ Styles. He is set to challenge ‘The Phenomenal One’ for the Intercontinental Championship tonight.
The feud between Matt Riddle and AJ Styles started after the Intercontinental Champion was defeated by Riddle on SmackDown. It has been reported that Matt Riddle will soon engage in a feud with Baron ‘King’ Corbin. The rivalry between the duo was teased on SmackDown and is expected to start on SmackDown this week.
There’s also a spoiler about their upcoming match that has been doing the rounds in the media. (Skip to the next slide if you don’t want to read about the leaked information).
The backstage reports state that Matt Riddle will lose to AJ Styles in their title match. Following that, King Corbin will join forces with The Phenomenal One in a brutal beatdown of Matt Riddle. This post-match segment is expected to kickstart the feud between Riddle and Corbin on SmackDown.
#3 Bray Wyatt to return with the Firefly Fun House on SmackDown
As confirmed by WWE, Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt will be locking horns in a Wyatt Swamp Fight at Extreme Rules. This won’t be a title match and Bray Wyatt won’t be bringing his alter ego ‘The Fiend’ to the battle. For tonight’s episode of SmackDown, WWE have advertised the return of Firefly Fun House, and Bray Wyatt is expected to address the WWE Universe via his popular segment.
It’s been rumored that Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman are expected to engage in an interesting trilogy. The two Superstars were involved in a match at Money in the Bank and it ended with the Universal Champion picking a victory. It’s now expected that Bray Wyatt will win their upcoming match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules.
Finally, both Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt are expected to battle it out for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam. This match will most likely feature ‘The Fiend’ because a loss then would also help WWE in protecting Braun Strowman. Given the fact that WWE have repeatedly brought up the history between both the Superstars, this storyline has huge potential.
#4 Will Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro challenge for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles?
The WWE SmackDown Tag Team title scene was relatively quiet until recently. Now, it seems likely that Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura intend to challenge The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Big E for the tag team gold. Last week, we saw Nakamura and Cesaro put Kofi Kingston and Big E through the table to send a clear message.
So far, the Extreme Rules match card has no Tag Team Championship match. Therefore, it is quite possible that we could see a title match booked between the team of Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura and The New Day. This feud has great potential and hopefully, WWE will use all the Superstars involved in a long-term rivalry.
Both Nakamura and Cesaro have been pretty dominant on SmackDown whenever they have made an appearance. They will do well as the Champions and their heelish antics will provide for great entertainment in addition to good, compelling matches every week. Hopefully, WWE capitalize on this rivalry and book them in a compelling storyline.
#5 What’s next for the SmackDown Women’s division?
Last week on SmackDown, we saw top Superstars from the Women’s division participate in a Karaoke segment. Following the show, former Champion Naomi was seen apologizing for the segment in the comments section of her Instagram account. The message was clear – the WWE Universe wants to see these talented Superstars engage in a real feud. It appears that we are headed towards a feud between Naomi and Lacey Evans now.
A huge talking point in this discussion is the fact that the SmackDown Women’s Championship picture can’t be targeted for any of the women’s feuds on the Blue brand. The title is held by Bayley and she is expected to engage in a Championship feud with her best friend and tag team partner Sasha Banks soon.
But that doesn’t mean WWE can’t have the other women engage in rivalries of their own. In fact, booking matches between different Superstars will help the creative in recognizing those who deserve to be pushed into the title picture.
Hence, this would be a great opportunity to try and put some of the deserving Superstars over with the crowd before they eventually challenge for the coveted prize of the SmackDown Women’s division.
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