The 28th March 2017 episode of SmackDown Live will be WWE’s final television offering prior to WrestleMania 33. Considering how the go-home episode of Monday Night Raw went, expectations for SmackDown are certainly high.
This is because of the trend that WWE established after the brand split. The brand split is still an experiment in its infancy, but the fans are used to seeing better shows on Tuesday nights, as compared to what they are served on Monday Nights.
And this adds to the pressure on the creative team. With just five days left for ‘The Ultimate Thrill Ride’, WWE will have to balance the build up to WrestleMania and at the same time, meet these expectations with the latest episode of SmackDown Live.
#5 The rematch clause
The Usos captured the SmackDown Tag Team titles from American Alpha last week. The title change created a buzz in the WWE Universe since it happened just two weeks away from WrestleMania. It’s probably what WWE wanted. A rematch between Usos and American Alpha is the next logical step for the WWE.
The WWE could either book the rematch this week on SmackDown or they could save it for WrestleMania. The latter would be preferable since it guarantees the tag team Championship a spot on the WrestleMania card.
However, I believe the WWE should go down the road less travelled by adding a stipulation to the rematch as it would spice things up.
#4 Fallout of the Elbow drop
The storyline involving AJ Styles and Shane McMahon has been polarising. There are people who love the idea and then there are people who hate it. From a storyline point of view, it’s hard to raise complaints about this feud, but what concerns most people is Shane’s wrestling ability.
Often, a wrestler’s ability to wrestle is compared with the person that he is feuding with. And when compared to AJ Styles, Shane’s ability falls short. But WWE, to their credit, has been bypassing this problem by emphasising on the personal friction between these two.
It is this personal friction that serves as the foundation for the feud. Shane putting his body on the line to hurt AJ Styles last week was an ode to this fact. A similar response from Styles could be expected at this week’s show.
#3 Hardcore diaries
Dean Ambrose will defend his Intercontinental Championship against Baron Corbin at WrestleMania. Currently, the match does not have any stipulations, but this could change at this week’s SmackDown.
There has been an emphasis on violence throughout the build-up of this storyline, and it would be a mistake if WWE does not cash-in. Last week, it was Ambrose that had the upper hand. He successfully distracted Corbin amidst the match against Randy Orton, in turn costing the Lone Wolf a victory.
Despite this small victory, Ambrose is still on the back foot when it comes to the bigger picture. The forklift attack from Corbin still stands out as the best part of the feud. And when WWE decides a stipulation, expect the device to play some part.
#2 Reunion or battle?
This week, Bray Wyatt will face the monster he created as he goes one-on-one with Luke Harper. The timing of the match provides WWE with plenty of options. Even though it is a non-title outing for Bray Wyatt, a loss at the hands of Harper could be interesting.
WWE could establish Harper as a title contender for the post-WrestleMania period if he wins by having him face the winner of Orton vs. Wyatt.
Another possibility is a reunion. Harper joining hands with Bray is a swerve that could shake things up. No matter what WWE has in store for the match, the presence of Randy Orton is something to watch out for. The Viper would probably be lurking at ringside waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
#1 The expose
The storyline of Miz, Maryse, John Cena and Nikki Bella is something that thrived on merit. WWE’s willingness to step out of their comfort zone and the excellent performances from the Superstars involved has made it the top feud of SmackDown ahead of WrestleMania.
Miz and Maryse have been on a mission to expose the real ‘John Cena and Nikki Bella’ and the well-engineered segment from last week was a part of this. With just one more slot left to elevate the feud further, we could expect things to get more personal on SmackDown.
There are rumours about Nikki retiring at WrestleMania and if this is the case, then Tuesday night could be her last SmackDown.
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