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The latest edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown is now in the history books, and fans are already focused on next week. Several big things happened on this show, and now a handful of major matches have been confirmed for next week's edition of the blue brand.
For example, a Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match has been announced. The Street Profits, The Authors of Pain, New Catch Republic, and Legado del Fantasma will all clash for a chance to lock horns with A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) for the SmackDown Tag Team Title. Additionally, LA Knight will battle AJ Styles to earn the right to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Backlash France.
The most intriguing match on the card is arguably the WWE Women's Championship encounter. Bayley will defend her newly won title against her long-time friend Naomi. This came after The Queen of Glow earned the title opportunity by beating Tiffany Stratton.
Naturally, the audience is curious about the result of the blockbuster encounter. Will Bayley be successful in her first title defense, or will Naomi end The Role Model's reign prematurely? Could a top stable interfere and cause the match to be thrown out?
Below are four possible finishes for Bayley vs. Naomi on WWE SmackDown:
#4. Bayley could defeat Naomi clean
Bayley didn't have a great year in 2023 as far as wins and losses are concerned. While she helped elevate Damage CTRL to new levels, The Role Model didn't win many matches.
However, The Role Model has been red-hot this year. She won the 2024 Women's Royal Rumble Match and successfully challenged IYO SKY at WrestleMania XL to claim the WWE Women's Championship. Bayley has proved once again just how absurdly talented she is.
And considering her red-hot run at the moment, it won't come as a surprise if Bayley picks up a clean victory next week. The Role Model could hit the Bayley-To-Belly, Diving Elbow Drop, or Rose Plant DDT to pick up the clean victory over her talented friend.
#3. Naomi could turn heel and win the WWE Women's Championship
Naomi is a beloved WWE performer. While she has played a heel in the past, Naomi has spent a bulk of her career as a babyface. This is because she is naturally likable. Everybody wants to root for The Queen of Glow.
This is an interesting dynamic as Bayley is also now a babyface. While The Role Model has spent the last three and a half years as a villain, fans have taken to her in a big way as a heroic character.
As a result, Bayley will likely be more popular come Friday. This could force Naomi to embrace her dark side. She could resort to unfair means to defeat Bayley for the prized title, which could kickstart a new era for the incredibly talented performer. Bayley losing because of a friend stabbing her in the back wouldn't exactly be new territory anyway.
#2. Tiffany Stratton could cost Naomi the victory
Naomi earned a title opportunity on WWE Friday Night SmackDown at the expense of Tiffany Stratton. Stratton is a former NXT Women's Champion in her own right and one of the most talented young stars in the company.
While she lost to Naomi, her issues weren't just with The Queen of Glow. Tiffany had an in-ring confrontation with WWE Women's Champion Bayley, during which she also tried to accept The Role Model's open challenge. However, she was denied because Bayley wanted to give Naomi the shot. That led to Stratton and Naomi clashing in a one-on-one encounter.
Given that The Buff Barbie felt like she should've had a shot against Bayley, Tiffany may interfere to cost Naomi the win. If Naomi is close to pinning the reigning champion, Stratton could sneak out and cause a distraction or attack the former champion behind the referee's back. This would allow Bayley to pick up the win.
#1. Damage CTRL could invade and attack both women
Four WWE stars were surprisingly missing from SmackDown this week. These four were Dakota Kai, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and IYO SKY, collectively known as Damage CTRL.
The Kabuki Warriors and Dakota Kai lost a Six-Woman Tag Team Match and IYO lost her WWE Women's Title to Bayley at The Showcase of The Immortals. And it is fair to say that the heel faction will seek revenge in the coming weeks.
The four stars could make their comeback on SmackDown next week and invade the title match between Bayley and Naomi and launch an attack on the duo, leading to the encounter ending in a no-result.
