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We're all set for this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, the first since Daniel Bryan departed from the brand. He lost the high-stakes match against Roman Reigns last week and had to leave the show. Indeed, The Tribal Chief would "humbly" remind the WWE Universe about everything that unfolded last week.
Most importantly, we will now see exciting developments in the ongoing storylines as we inch closer to WrestleMania Backlash. WWE SmackDown could confirm a couple of title matches for the upcoming pay-per-view on tonight’s episode.
In this article, we will take a look at the things that can unfold on WWE SmackDown this week.
#1 Roman Reigns attacks Cesaro during WrestleMania rematch on WWE SmackDown
This week on WWE SmackDown, we will see Seth Rollins and Cesaro face each other in a WrestleMania rematch. The Swiss Cyborg wants to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship but first has to remove Rollins out of his way once and for all. The two superstars have been feuding for a while now and have delivered a few memorable matches along the way.
This bout will most likely account for the main event of WWE SmackDown, and we can see a surprise interference from Reigns. Last week, the Universal Champion brutalized Daniel Bryan after defeating him. Cesaro rushed to the latter’s aid, but, Reigns and Jey Uso aggressively manhandled both The Swiss Cyborg and Bryan.
It is evident that Roman Reigns is not yet done with Cesaro. He once humiliated the latter by labeling him as someone unworthy of the Universal Champion’s time. Thus, it is essential for Cesaro to beat Rollins tonight on WWE SmackDown so that he can dedicate his complete attention to Reigns and the Universal Championship.
Backstage reports suggest that the creative are planning an intense title feud between Roman Reigns and Cesaro on WWE SmackDown. Hence, the latter needs a couple of significant victories under his belt before he challenges The Head of the Table. Although Cesaro is expected to win tonight, he could still be on the receiving end of a brutal beatdown at the hands of Reigns and Jey Uso.
WWE have finally pushed Cesaro into the world title scene, and they should invest more into building him for the upcoming title feud. He has deserved this shot for a long time. A good title feud with Reigns will help establish Cesaro as a permanent threat in the Universal Championship picture, especially now that he is working as a babyface on WWE SmackDown.
#2 Aleister Black makes a surprise return on WWE SmackDown
Aleister Black was drafted to WWE SmackDown in October last year. However, the superstar soon went missing and remained absent from television for seven months. WWE recently confirmed his return via a video package in which Black talked about his childhood and how he is always motivated to end the evil.
The creative also did well in keeping the vignette neutral, which has raised several speculations about whether Black will return as a heel or a babyface. While WWE SmackDown has delivered interesting shows recently, they can undoubtedly use a superstar like Aleister Black to stir things up on the roster. We could see him make an immediate impact on some of the ongoing storylines.
Fans have also speculated that Black could go after Seth Rollins on WWE SmackDown. The latter will also be free for a fresh feud after his match against Cesaro tonight. It would be exciting to see if the creative has added more to Black’s dark and mysterious persona. He is a talented superstar and deserves good opportunities on the Blue brand.
#3 Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn hijack the Intercontinental Championship on WWE SmackDown
Last week on WWE SmackDown, Apollo Crews successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship against Big E. Later on, Crews and his new ally, Commander Azeez, started attacking Big E. Kevin Owens then rushed to the ring and tried to attack both the Intercontinental Champion and Azeez. While he took out Crews with Stunner, Azeez managed to get the better of Owens.
Sami Zayn also made his presence known, and there was a brief moment when he had the entire attention focused on the title. Zayn believes that the Intercontinental Championship belongs to him, and he could soon go after the gold. The creative could use this opportunity to merge two ongoing storylines on WWE SmackDown.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have also been involved in an intense feud over the last few weeks. This storyline has the potential to unveil a huge twist later on, and having them fight over the title will help add more intensity to the same. We could have all four superstars compete in a match on WWE SmackDown this week to set up a fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania Backlash.
#4 Sasha Banks attacks the WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion
Bianca Belair is set to defend her WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bayley at WrestleMania Backlash. The two superstars share a long history and are expected to deliver an intense title feud leading up to the upcoming pay-per-view. However, both superstars need to look out for Sasha Banks, who lost the aforementioned title to Belair at WrestleMania 37.
Banks has openly admitted that she should not have lost her gold and declared her intention to go after Belair once again. We could see her orchestrate a brutal attack on both Belair and her former best friend Bayley to prove a point. This might lead to Banks being added to the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash, and we could get a triple-threat title bout between three talented superstars who can’t stand each other.
While Banks and Belair faced each other in a good match at WrestleMania 37, their title feud leading up to the pay-per-view lacked intensity on WWE SmackDown. The creative has an opportunity to right that wrong by allowing both booking Banks in a brutal title feud with Belair. Bayley’s respective feuds with both Belair and Banks will make this match-up all the more exciting.
#5 Natalya and Tamina go after the WWE Women’s Championships on WWE SmackDown
Tamina and Natalya have impressed us with their performances on WWE SmackDown over the last few weeks. They have been dominant in their recent encounters with the reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Both teams are expected to lock horns in a title match at WrestleMania Backlash.
Baszler and Jax successfully defended their tag team titles against Lana and Naomi on RAW earlier this week. High on momentum, the duo will look to even things out with Tamia and Natalya, who have easily bested the champions over the last few weeks. Thus, we expect another altercation between the two teams on WWE SmackDown tonight.
Tamina has openly criticized Nia Jax for being an incompetent champion. On the other hand, Natalya is tired of being overlooked and has unleashed a more aggressive side. The creative has a good opportunity to make the tag team title picture more exciting on WWE SmackDown, and hopefully, all four superstars will deliver a good feud.
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