'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAEAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABv/aAAgBAQAAAAA2H//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/2gAIAQIQAAAAV//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/2gAIAQMQAAAAV//EACEQAAMAAQIHAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQAEQUSEyEiMZHR/9oACAEBAAE/AOEQxcXKrSGJKbpbphplkPIUoxXxI7EzT5qedlGa72JO3sqv5r//xAAaEQACAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADMVGx/9oACAECAQE/AKnYjO+mf//EABwRAAEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAQQRISIxsv/aAAgBAwEBPwCRgdBtrll//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sasha Banks defends her SmackDown Women's Championship against Nia Jax tonight on SmackDown ahead of this weekend's WWE Fastlane event. At Fastlane, Banks will team with Bianca Belair to challenge for the Women's Tag Team Championships.
Nia Jax is hoping to walk into WWE Fastlane as the new SmackDown Women's Champion, which would guarantee her a match at WrestleMania, since she would then be challenged by Bianca Belair, following her Royal Rumble victory.
With Reginald and Shayna Baszler in her corner, it's hard to ignore the fact that The Irresistible Force has a distinct advantage in this match. But this is WWE, which means that anything could happen. Bianca Belair will also be part of the mix, but at present it's unknown whose side she's on, with both Fastlane and WrestleMania lurking.
Here are just five potential finishes for the SmackDown Women's Championship match between Nia Jax and Sasha Banks, which will take place on tonight's go-home episode of the show ahead of WWE Fastlane.
#5. Nia Jax becomes the new WWE SmackDown Women's Champion
Nia Jax is a former RAW Women's Champion but hasn't spent enough time on WWE's SmackDown brand to ever be part of the Women's Championship picture. Jax is seen as a Monday Night RAW Superstar, but the fact that she's Women's Tag Team Champion means that she's allowed to appear on both SmackDown and NXT and can possibly challenge for any of the Championships available.
The Women's Tag Team Champion was able to overcome the threat of both Banks and Belair at Elimination Chamber when the two women were looking to take away the Tag Team Championships. She could be able to find a way past Banks again tonight.
Whilst Sasha Banks has proven her worth inside Hell in a Cell and even in Ironwoman matches, Jax is both bigger and stronger than the current Champion. If this match goes ahead without any kind of interference, you have to give Jax the edge.
It will be especially hard for Banks to lock in the Bank Statement on the former Women's Champion. So it could be a match that either comes down to a distraction, interference or one that will see Nia Jax walk out of SmackDown as the Women's Champion for the first time.
#4. Sasha Banks retains her WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Sasha Banks won the SmackDown Women's Championship inside WWE's Hell in a Cell structure and won't be parting with it easily. In the past, The Boss has always found a way past Nia Jax and the only reason she lost the match at Elimination Chamber was because of Reginald's interference.
Banks and Belair have built up quite the story for WrestleMania next month and it wouldn't make any sense for that to now be switched, so that Belair would be forced to face Nia Jax.
Since Banks made her return from her hiatus, she has been on fire and deserves her WrestleMania moment. With all of the combustible elements that include the likes of Belair, Reginald, Shayna Baszler, and even Carmella, it's highly unlikely that this match will end clean.
This means that Sasha Banks has a chance to use the Champion's advantage and either retain the Championship via disqualification or count-out. Either that or The Boss could send quite the message to Belair by pinning Nia Jax ahead of their WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match this weekend.
#3. Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler cause the disqualification finish to the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship match
Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler are the other two women who make up the Women's Tag Team Championship match this weekend at WWE Fastlane. It's likely that these two women will be at ringside on SmackDown to support their partners as part of tonight's match.
Whilst it's believed that Baszler has Nia Jax's back since they are Women's Tag Team Champions, it's unclear if Belair is in it for herself and could start some sort of fight at ringside with Baszler. This would distract from the action inside the ring.
The tension between these two women in recent weeks has meant it's impossible to know if they will start a fight at ringside and then brawl into the ring. The whole match could end in a brawl for all involved ahead of their showdown on Sunday at WWE Fastlane.
It's likely that the two women will cause some sort of issue on SmackDown and either bring the match to a halt or force the referee to send them to the back to maintain some kind of order.
#2. Interference or a distraction from Reginald could go either way when it comes to the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship
Reginald has become a wildcard in the SmackDown Women's Division over the past few weeks and was the reason why Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks didn't win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships at Elimination Chamber.
The former sommelier of Carmella was fired by The Untouchable star a few weeks ago on SmackDown. When he was turned down by Sasha Banks, Nia Jax decided to accept his services.
It's unclear what the relationship between Reginald and Jax actually is, but it appears that Reginald is now in Jax's corner, whilst also still harboring feelings for WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks.
Will this cloud his judgment as part of tonight's match when he's supposed to be on Jax's side? Reginald could inadvertently cost Jax the match or even purposely help Banks retain her Championship, if it becomes clear that the endgame is for the former NXT star to join Banks in the future.
Or Reginald could try to help Jax win the Championship, but fail in his pursuit once again.
#1. Shayna Baszler costs Nia Jax the chance to become WWE SmackDown Women's Champion
Shayna Baszler has not looked happy about the relationship between Reginald and Nia Jax on WWE TV in recent weeks. Baszler has been seen in the background being unsupportive of her friend's new acquaintance and could decide to make a statement tonight.
Baszler should arguably be challenging Asuka for the RAW Women's Championship at WWE WrestleMania, so it must be hard for The Queen of Spades to sit by and watch Nia Jax challenge for a Women's Championship when she can't.
Baszler and Jax are not close friends, they came together to win Tag Team Championship gold and have proved several times that they are still in it for themselves when it comes down to it.
Baszler could decide that she has had enough of Jax and Reginald and cost her the Championship as part of tonight's match. This would definitely make things tense between the two women heading into their title defense this weekend at WWE Fastlane.
