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We are a few hours away from the final episode of WWE SmackDown before Fastlane. The show has a couple of great matches lined up for fans. The results of these bouts could also alter the fate of superstars for Fastlane and WrestleMania. Most importantly, the Blue brand is set to welcome one of its biggest names back inside the ring for the first time in a decade.
In this article, we will take a look at things that can happen on WWE SmackDown this week.
#1 Edge returns to action on WWE SmackDown in a high stakes match
Last week on WWE SmackDown, Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns signed the contract for their Universal Championship match at Fastlane. The highly tense segment also revealed that there will be a special guest enforcer involved in the match at the upcoming pay-per-view. Edge and Jey Uso will face each other this week to determine who will take up that crucial role for Reigns’ next match.
Ever since Edge decided to challenge Reigns for the title at WrestleMania, The Rated-R Superstar has made several appearances on WWE SmackDown. In fact, he made it very clear early on that if he was booked in a title feud, then he won’t remain absent for most of the build-up like other part-timers.
While we have already seen Edge competing at the big pay-per-views and on RAW, this is the first time in over ten years that he will compete on WWE SmackDown. The relationship between him and the Blue brand dates back to the best days of his career. He was once synonymous with the brand, and this match will serve as a great nod to the past.
Jey Uso will feature in another main event of WWE SmackDown. He has been incredible on Reigns' side and has played a huge role in keeping his Tribal Chief’s championship reign intact. If he becomes the special guest enforcer for Reigns’ match at Fastlane, the latter will once again have a huge advantage over his challenger.
While this seems like a usual setup for Reigns’ match, Edge won’t let Jey Uso pick up an easy victory. In fact, he has a vested interest in ensuring that the title bout between Reigns and Bryan is fair. It will be interesting to see who will gain an advantage from this high-stakes match scheduled for WWE SmackDown tonight.
#2 Sasha Banks set to defend her WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship against Nia Jax
WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks has a busy few days ahead of her. She is set to team up with Bianca Belair to challenge Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Tag Team Championships at Fastlane. But before that, Banks has a massive challenge awaiting her on WWE SmackDown tonight.
As confirmed last week, Banks will put her WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship on the line against Jax. The two superstars have crossed paths on several occasions over the past year. In fact, Jax and Baszler won their tag titles the first time after defeating Banks and Bayley. Now Jax has her eyes set on Banks’ championship once again, and interestingly, it was all Reginald’s idea.
It seems highly unlikely that the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship title will change hands tonight. We expect Banks to come out on top in this title match and lose the tag team title match. That result will ultimately kickstart the feud between Banks and her tag team partner, Belair, who are scheduled to compete for the women’s title at WrestleMania.
#3 WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions find their next challengers
The WWE SmackDown Tag Team division was very quiet until recently. Now, superstars like Rey Mysterio, his son Dominik Mysterio, Chad Gable, and Otis actively compete as tag teams. While the Mysterios are babyfaces on the Blue brand, Otis and Gable recently turned heel and established themselves as The Alpha Academy.
The two teams have faced each other in a few matches over the last few weeks. They are expected to engage in another match that could land them a shot at the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Considering that the creative rarely book a match between heels, we expect to see the Mysterios eventually stepping up to challenge Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode for the titles.
The WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions have only been involved in an intense feud with former titleholders, The Street Profits. The two teams have met inside the ring on multiple occasions. Even though Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford have not gone all out to reclaim their tag team gold, they still pose the most significant threat to the titles on the Blue brand. It will be exciting to see who will emerge as the next challengers for Roode and Ziggler.
#4 Apollo Crews and Big E brawl on WWE SmackDown ahead of Fastlane
Big E returned to WWE SmackDown last week and confronted Apollo Crews. The latter had brutally attacked the Intercontinental Champion a few weeks ago. As a result, Big E was rushed to the medical facility, and he then had to spend some time away from the ring. Meanwhile, Crews confirmed his heel turn and adopted the gimmick of a Nigerian Prince.
Although Crews has challenged Big E for the IC title on multiple occasions, he has never beaten the champion. He has another shot at the title as Crews will face Big E in the Intercontinental Championship match at Fastlane. This did not sit well with Big E, who believes that Crews has had many chances to fight for the title, and he should now go to the back of the line.
Before their upcoming meeting at Fastlane, we expect to see Big E and Crews involved in a big altercation on WWE SmackDown. The two superstars need the right momentum ahead of their match and it will be crucial for Crews’ heel run. There could be a confrontation if one or both of them are booked for a match tonight.
#5 What’s next for the rivalry between Seth Rollins and Cesaro on WWE SmackDown?
Following his return on WWE SmackDown, Seth Rollins has set his sights on Cesaro. The two superstars were involved in a couple of brawls on consecutive weeks. We then saw Cesaro locking horns with Murphy. The latter wanted to reconcile with Rollins and put up a tough fight against Cesaro during their matches.
Both their encounters ended in Cesaro’s victory, and Rollins was not happy about that result. He wanted Cesaro as his ally, and when his proposal was denied, The Architect resorted to destroying his ‘friend.’ This feud is still brewing on WWE SmackDown and could lead to a big match at WrestleMania next month. They are both incredible superstars and are capable of delivering an engaging feud even if there’s no title involved.
Cesaro has gained a lot of momentum on WWE SmackDown ever since he turned face. He will look to add more to his run by beating Rollins at The Grandest Stage of Them All. They are good friends in real life, and they share brilliant chemistry inside the ring. The Messiah will plot another attack on Cesaro, but could we see him reunite with his disciple Murphy as well?
Murphy recently approached Rollins on WWE SmackDown and urged for a reconciliation. He blamed the Mysterio family for using him, but Rollins couldn’t care less. The Messiah might want someone in his corner when he is taking on Cesaro. Could Murphy become his secret weapon in the future?
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