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We are all set to watch a historical episode of WWE SmackDown this week. WWE is prepared to hit the road and mark the beginning of a new era with the live crowd set to return to the arena tonight.
The Blue brand has a big night ahead with entertaining matches and promising segments scheduled for the show. Not to forget, this will be WWE SmackDown’s go-home show before the much-anticipated Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
In this article, we will take a look at things that can transpire on WWE SmackDown tonight.
#6 WWE SmackDown set to bring back crowd on a historic night
The sun has finally set on the ThunderDome era. This week’s episode of WWE SmackDown will take us towards a familiar dawn filled with thunderous claps and deafening pops as the live events finally hit the road. It would be an understatement to say that everyone in the WWE Universe missed the sound of synchronized cheers and boos.
It is a significant moment, one that will be fondly remembered and rigorously revisited in the coming years. Given the standards that WWE SmackDown has set for itself in the last few months, it is understandable why the promotion wants the Blue brand to be the first to welcome fans back into the arena.
Some of the biggest superstars will take to the stage tonight, and we expect to see significant developments on WWE SmackDown’s final show before Money in the Bank pay-per-view. We are confident that this will be the Blue brand's biggest show of the year.
#5 Roman Reigns scheduled for a big match on WWE SmackDown
Last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown was not entirely kind towards the Universal Champion, Roman Reigns. Although The Tribal Chief managed to get his entire family on the same page, their celebrations were cut short by a vengeful Edge. The Rated-R Superstar, alongside Rey and Dominik Mysterio, ambushed Reigns, Jey, and Jimmy Uso to make a strong statement.
Following the brutal altercation, a huge six-man tag team match was booked for WWE SmackDown tonight. The crowd is expected to witness Roman Reigns and The Usos take on Edge and The Mysterios in the show's main event. Both Reigns and Edge will look to pick up a big win ahead of their title match at Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The rivalry between Roman Reigns and Edge has been quite intense up to this point. We've seen both superstars channel their most aggressive sides during the course of this feud, and things won’t be different this weekend.
It will be interesting to see who will have the upper hand during their encounter on WWE SmackDown tonight. Edge has had the upper hand so far but can Roman Reigns finally turn the tide?
#4 Bianca Belair puts her WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line
In an unfortunate turn of events, last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown confirmed that Bayley had sustained a serious injury. As a result, she has been ruled out of in-ring action for nine months. She was initially supposed to challenge Bianca Belair for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The title match was removed from the card after Bayley’s injury was made public. Subsequently, it was confirmed that Belair would defend her title against Carmella on WWE SmackDown tonight. The creative team had to look for an immediate replacement, and Carmella seemed like the best choice. She now has a huge opportunity to put up a credible fight against the champion in front of a live audience.
Bianca Belair is being pushed as the top babyface on WWE SmackDown, and she has the potential to craft a memorable title reign on the Blue brand. She is not expected to lose her title tonight. However, we hope to see a good match that will ultimately help shift the narration towards other challengers on WWE SmackDown.
#3 Huge Fatal 4-Way Match booked for WWE SmackDown tonight
After a challenging round of qualifiers, four WWE SmackDown Superstars managed to book a spot for themselves in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match. These names include Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, Big E, and Seth Rollins. All of them have been great on the Blue brand recently and are looking forward to the career-altering opportunity that awaits them this weekend.
Before that, Owens, Nakamura, Big E, and Rollins are scheduled to lock horns in a fatal four-way match on WWE SmackDown tonight. Each of these superstars can dominate their opponents with ease and are crafty inside the ring. Thus, it has set up an exciting clash between four incredible superstars who will give us a taste of the action that can unfold at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
Owens and Rollins have already declared their intentions of targeting Roman Reigns if they win the Money in the Bank contract. Nakamura and Big E are determined to enter the world title picture. It is difficult to predict which WWE SmackDown Superstar will steal a victory tonight.
We could also see RAW Superstars, who have qualified for the MITB match, make a surprise appearance on SmackDown tonight and causing an all-out brawl.
#2 Former NXT Superstars make a strong statement on WWE SmackDown
Last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown saw two NXT Superstars make their main roster debut. Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox arrived on the Blue brand as a tag team and went straight after Nataya and Tamina. Both superstars delivered an impressive performance in the match and walked out with a surprise victory.
It was a big debut considering they pinned the Women’s Tag Team Champions on their first night on WWE SmackDown. Shotzi and Nox will look to build on that momentum by making a strong statement tonight. They are both over with the WWE Universe and can fetch a favorable reaction from the crowd with ease.
Shotzi and Nox’s main roster call-up was admittedly controversial. Both superstars were involved in different feuds on NXT, and the abrupt decision didn’t sit well with several fans.
However, from the company's perspective, they were left with no other option. Bayley’s injury was a massive blow to an already fragile women’s division on WWE SmackDown. Thus, the Blue brand desperately needed new names that can help create new rivalries.
#1 Surprise return on WWE SmackDown tonight?
WWE SmackDown has missed Sasha Banks since WrestleMania 37. After losing her title to Bianca Belair, she made a brief appearance and talked about a potential title rematch before taking some time off. She is now expected to return soon and tonight sets up the best opportunity to bring back the former champion.
Despite their epic bout at WrestleMania, Banks never received her title rematch. It would be entirely fair if she comes back and goes straight after Belair’s championship. Sasha Banks is fantastic as a heel, and Belair needs such opponents to cement herself as a credible champion. Both superstars can pick up from where they left off and deliver an entertaining feud on WWE SmackDown.
Booking Banks and Belair in a title feud will also grant them enough time for the creative team to build up more challengers for Bianca Belair. The WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship feuds have been repetitive off late.
While the superstars involved deserve a lot of credit for their respective performances, it is now time for the writers to look beyond three or four names in a bid to create new and exciting storylines.
