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This week's SmackDown took place last week at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. WWE taped the episode in advance due to the crew heading out to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the Elimination Chamber event.
Fans in attendance already knew what had gone down in the episode. A few clips were shared on social media. WWE even posted one spoiler on their website during the tapings about the Intercontinental Championship match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn.
Despite this, it was business as usual heading into the show. The company advertised that Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Goldberg would come face-to-face ahead of their colossal battle at Elimination Chamber. They also announced a contract signing between Ronda Rousey & Naomi and, Sonya Deville & SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair.
The show certainly delivered the final hype for the huge event at the Jeddah Dome. After all, the showcase will be the last premium live event before WrestleMania 38, according to WWE's schedule.
That being said, let's take a look at the five biggest news stories coming out of this week's SmackDown.
#5 The Viking Raiders are set for the Elimination Chamber SmackDown Tag Team Championship match
The Viking Raiders' momentum leading into the Elimination Chamber event is at an all-time high.
On January 14, they became the number one contenders for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship by defeating Cesaro & Mansoor, Los Lotharios, and Jinder Mahal & Shanky in a four-way match. The following week, they overcame Los Lotharios in just a few minutes.
After weeks of teasing and beatdowns from champions The Uso's, Ivar took on Jimmy Uso one-on-one this week and defeated him to unsettle The Bloodline camp heading into the Jeddah showdown.
While Jimmy managed to score a one-on-one victory against Erik a couple of weeks ago, The Uso's will undoubtedly be keeping The Viking Raiders' recent win in the back of their minds.
Can The Viking Raiders dethrone the SmackDown Tag Team Champions at Elimination Chamber? We'll find out in just a few hours.
#4 Ricochet finally claims a big win over Sheamus on SmackDown
It has been well-documented that on the WWE Day 1 kick-off show, Ricochet accidentally broke the nose of Ridge Holland during a tag team match.
Since then, the incident has played into the storyline, with Sheamus and Ridge Holland seeking revenge. Over the last few weeks, The Celtic Warrior has overcome Ricochet in two one-on-one matches. They once again clashed in the ring this week.
However, it was a different story this time around, as the former United States Champion toppled The Irishman to finally score a big victory over this rival. The win added to the triumph over Ridge Holland last week in one-on-one action.
#3 The Undertaker is announced for the 2022 Hall of Fame ceremony
Hours before SmackDown aired, WWE delivered breaking news that The Undertaker would be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
The event, which will occur immediately after SmackDown on April 1, will see The Phenom headline the class of 2022. The induction will happen in his home state of Texas during WrestleMania weekend.
The Undertaker retired at Survivor Series in 2020. However, his retirement ceremony took place with no fans in attendance.
Because of the induction, it also means The Undertaker will greet the 100,000+ fans at the AT&T Stadium during WrestleMania when the Hall of Fame class is introduced. Fans will now get the opportunity to say thank you to The Phenom in person. It will be a surreal and memorable moment, that's for sure.
#2 Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville feel the wrath of Ronda Rousey and Naomi
After SmackDown went off the air last week, it was announced that Ronda Rousey & Naomi would team up to take on Sonya Deville & Charlotte Flair at Elimination Chamber.
This week, the contract signing ended with physicality after Ronda Rousey smashed The SmackDown Women's Champion's head against the signing table. A fan clip from the taping initially showed Charlotte resisting the move for a moment, which ultimately made it look less realistic. However, WWE used their editing skills to hide the resistance in the episode.
However, Ronda and Naomi got the upper hand and flipped the table onto Sonya and the SmackDown Women's Champion as they stood tall leading into the Elimination Chamber event.
#1 Sami Zayn wins the WWE Intercontinental Championship defeating Shinsuke Nakamura
Surprisingly, the Intercontinental Championship match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn was the first televised defense of the title since September 2021.
Nakamura was injured between then and now, but he was back and ready to defend against The Master Strategist. However, the WWE Universe was stunned when Sami Zayn secured the victory to become a three-time Intercontinental Champion.
Could Zayn possibly defend the title against Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania? We'll soon find out over the coming weeks leading into The Show of Shows.
Did you enjoy this week's episode? Let us know in the comments section below!
