WWE SmackDown Preview: Big Money in the Bank qualification match on the cards, Top Superstar to face an old ally? (April 17, 2020)

We are all set for this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown which is set to feature quite a few important matches including a title rematch from WrestleMania 36. Despite the absence of the crowd, the company seems to be doing a good job and will continue to do so in the coming weeks.

There are several budding rivalries in the locker room of the Blue brand. While Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville seem to have started their rivalry, Sasha Banks and Bayley are on the brink of a feud. Moreover, the next few weeks will witness one of them being pushed to the other side.

In this article, we will take a look at five crucial things that could happen on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#1 Daniel Bryan vs Cesaro – Money in the Bank qualification match

This storyline has been exciting right from the start

At WrestleMania 36, Daniel Bryan faced Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship, but the latter managed to prevail. But it seems like the rivalry between the team of Daniel Bryan and Sami Zayn has roped in their respective allies.

While Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro are regularly seen in Zayn’s corner, Bryan knows that Gulak has his back. Interestingly enough, this feud has the potential to create several exciting matchups before the creatives exhaust all their options.

On this week’s episode of SmackDown, we are set to see Bryan locking horns with Cesaro in a high-stakes match. The winner will qualify for the Men’s Money in the Bank match, and the one who loses might miss a shot at participating in the unique edition of the MITB match in the WWE’s history.

It is important to note than Gulak, Zayn, and Nakamura could also play an essential role in determining the result of this bout between Bryan and Cesaro. Hopefully, we will see these talented Superstars being involved in such exciting feuds even beyond this particular qualifier. And who knows, it might just be the right thing that the creatives need to script a compelling storyline.

#2 What’s next for Braun Strowman and ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt?

This could turn into an epic storyline with the right booking

Braun Strowman was added to the WrestleMania 36 match card only after Roman Reigns decided to pull out of the PPV. The Monster Among Men went on to face Goldberg for the Universal Championship and walked out of the WWE Performance Centre with the title.

Last week, we saw him make his first SmackDown appearance as the Universal Champion and he looked like he deserved every bit of it.

As hinted last Friday, we might be headed towards a title feud between Strowman and his mentor, ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt. The history behind both these Superstars dates back to their time in the Wyatt Family and there’s a lot of stuff that can be used to create a good storyline.

In addition, both Superstars have good chemistry which will help them in creating an engaging feud on screen.

In a recent interview, Strowman fired a warning to the entire SmackDown roster as he confirmed that he wants to be a fighting Champion. He has been humbled by ‘The Fiend’ before but will the history repeat itself? Let’s find out.

#3 Sasha Banks vs Tamina for a Championship opportunity?

"Never trust everything you see."

Last week, Sasha Banks and her best friend Bayley were busy celebrating their WrestleMania performance before they were interrupted by Tamina. The latter was one of the four women against whom Bayley successfully retained her title at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’.

Quite surprisingly, Tamina was booked strongly in the match, and it looks like WWE are planning on giving her a decent run.

Tamina went on to demand a one-on-one match against Bayley, but the SmackDown Women’s Champion had something else in her mind. She said that Tamina would get a shot at her title provided she beats Banks first.

It is interesting to note that Bayley made this decision without consulting with Banks, who looked slightly shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Tonight, Banks and Tamina are set to lock horns in a Single’s match, and if the latter picks a victory tonight, she will get a chance to challenge Bayley for her title. It is no secret that WWE are building towards a feud between the two best friends – something that the WWE Universe has desperately wanted for quite some time.

Hence, it will be interesting to see how this match will fuel the budding feud between Banks and Bayley.

#4 The Miz vs The Usos vs The New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles

Will the Miz successfully retain the tag team title against known enemies?

At WrestleMania 36, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston, and Jimmy Uso represented their respective tag teams in a triple threat match. After an entertaining bout, it was Morrison who managed to successfully retain the SmackDown Tag Team Championships while Kingston and Jimmy stood atop the ladder in shock.

On tonight’s episode of SmackDown, we will see the same match with the same stipulation except the roles will be reversed. We will now see Miz, Big E, and Jey Uso representing their respective teams in a triple-threat match. It will be interesting to see if the ‘best tag team of the 21st century’ will manage to retain the title once again.

Interestingly enough, the SmackDown tag team division is doing fairly well with the help of numerous entertaining teams. Even if the title changes hands tonight, there will be a lot of opportunities of the creatives to craft engaging storylines involving The New Day, The Usos, and the team of Miz and Morrison while also allowing them to rope in the likes of Heavy Machinery.

#5 Will Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose put aside their differences?

The only acceptable love angle in WWE right now (Image courtesy: WWE)

In one of the best-narrated storylines of this year, Mandy Rose and Otis finally got a chance to be together at the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’. Dolph Ziggler was determined to beat Otis, but Rose’s well-timed low blow helped the one-half of the Heavy Machinery in picking a deserving win at WrestleMania 36.

This storyline also showed that Sonya Deville, who was the most trusted friend of Rose in the Blue brand, went behind her tag team partner’s back and helped Ziggler in his devious plots against Otis.

A disappointed Rose learned the truth at WrestleMania and was irked beyond comprehension when she saw Deville hitting Otis with a low blow during their match. This forced Rose to come down to the ring and attack Deville before she helped Otis.

Following that, the two shared a beautiful kiss that made the entire WWE Universe adore them.

Tonight, we expect to see Deville trying to mend her relationship with Rose after she was exposed by a shadowy figure.

Will Rose forgive her friend for the betrayal? And most importantly, we might also get to know who the hooded man is. After all, he was behind all of those glitches and he also exposed the truth in this storyline.