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We are all set for the final episode of WWE SmackDown before the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. So far, only one match has been confirmed for the show, and it will feature all the Superstars who will fight for a chance to challenge Roman Reigns in a title match. In addition to that, there have been reports about major returns and possible heel turns on the road to WrestleMania.
In this article, we will take a look at the events that can transpire on WWE SmackDown this week.
#1 Elimination Chamber contenders scheduled for a match on WWE SmackDown
As confirmed last week, six WWE SmackDown Superstars including Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, Jey Uso, King Corbin, and Sami Zayn will lock horns inside the Elimination Chamber on Sunday. The winner of this match will have a shot at Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship on the same night.
However, we are set to see all the contenders lock horns in a six-man tag team match that will most likely be the main event of this week’s WWE SmackDown. As confirmed by WWE, Kevin Owens, Cesaro, and Daniel Bryan will join forces to take on King Corbin, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn. The match is bound to give us a taste of what will transpire inside the Elimination Chamber.
All the six Superstars are expected to deliver an engaging performance as they will all look to gain momentum ahead of the pay-per-view. All eyes will be on Cesaro as he is expected to eventually win the match and challenge Roman Reigns for the title. He has enjoyed a great run on WWE SmackDown over the last few weeks and will look to capitalize on that momentum.
Regardless of the winner, we expect Roman Reigns to make a strong statement. His biggest ally Jey Uso is going to be a part of this match on WWE SmackDown. It would be fair to expect that Reigns will instruct him to do some damage to his opponents and earn an advantage ahead of the pay-per-view.
We could also see Reigns run interference on his own. After all, The Tribal Chief would hate to see someone else take away all the attention from the main event of WWE SmackDown. He has been outsmarted by others on the roster for a few weeks now, and Reigns could be keen on changing that ahead of Elimination Chamber.
#2 Jimmy Uso to make his return on WWE SmackDown
Fans are eagerly waiting for Jimmy Uso’s return on WWE SmackDown. The other half of The Usos has been out with injury, but he is now expected to come back. Back in December, Jey Uso predicted that his tag team partner could return by February, and he even insisted that the latter would be a part of Roman Reigns’ faction. With the huge match lined up at Elimination Chamber, it would be the right time to bring back Jimmy Uso.
“Definitely soon, man, January-February, I must say. They are lined up behind us bro. We've got cousins, we've got... they're lined up behind us. They're ready, and they're gonna be ten times more powerful that we are.”
Jimmy Uso often made appearances when Jey Uso was initially feuding with Roman Reigns. He will make for an interesting addition to the group on WWE SmackDown. Most importantly, Jey and Jimmy Uso will then look to get their hands on WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships as The Tribal Chief would want all the gold on the Blue brand to remain with his family.
#3 Sasha Banks teases a heel turn on WWE SmackDown
WWE SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks has had an impressive run with the title. While she has been good as a babyface, things might soon change for the Champion. It is expected that Bianca Belair will declare her intentions to face Sasha Banks for the title at WrestleMania sometime soon, and that could eventually push Banks to turn heel on the Blue brand.
For now, we have seen an alliance between Banks and Belair on WWE SmackDown. Both Superstars have often teamed up to take on the heels, and they even faced the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. However, their love for the good fight is the very thing that will drive a rift between the two top Superstars as we inch closer to WrestleMania.
Banks has been a babyface for a while now. She has carried the title well, but it would be fair to say that she is great as a heel. We are bound to see her embrace that side on WWE SmackDown, and her feud with Bianca Belair might give us the first glimpse of that upcoming turn. For now, it will be interesting to see how she navigates her way around Belair, with Carmella also looming in the corner.
#4 Big E continues his feud with Apollo Crews and Shinsuke Nakamura on WWE SmackDown
Last week on WWE SmackDown, Big E issued an open challenge to the roster as he sought the next opponent for his Intercontinental Championship defense. Much to his disappointment, the first one to walk out was Apollo Crews. Big E denied him the opportunity as he claimed that Crews had had his fair number of chances to challenge for the title.
Soon after that, Shinsuke Nakamura walked out, and he challenged Big E for the Intercontinental Championship. Both Superstars locked horns in an impressive match, and Nakamura started to look like his old self again. Unfortunately, their match ended in no contest because Crews interfered in their battle on WWE SmackDown.
We expect to see further developments in this feud on WWE SmackDown. It would be better if Big E goes on to defend his title against Nakamura at Elimination Chamber. The latter deserved a spot in the EC match. In the absence of that booking, he can still feature at the pay-per-view by challenging another titleholder.
#5 What’s next for the tag team division on WWE SmackDown?
Last week on WWE SmackDown, we saw Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler make an appearance on the Blue brand. The WWE Women's Tag Team Champions locked horns with Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. They also made an appearance on WWE NXT on Wednesday, and we could see them back in action tonight.
That said, we don't expect them to face Banks and Belair. Instead, it would be better to have them go against the likes of The Riott Squad or even a team of Bayley and Billie Kay on WWE SmackDown. The WWE Women's Tag Team Championships have to be defended across all three brands, and the titles desperately need new teams to step up and pose a serious threat.
Moving on to the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are enjoying their current run with the titles. That said, they have hardly had any significant title defenses, and they should be booked into a couple of good title feuds before they eventually drop their titles. No tag team in the division other than The Street Profits seems like strong challengers at the moments, and the creative team might look to change that starting tonight.
