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After an eventful and entertaining Fastlane 2023, WWE SmackDown kicks off its road to Crown Jewel with a stacked season premiere. Not only does John Cena's latest run continue on Friday, but Roman Reigns also returns for the first time in two months. A lot has transpired since The Tribal Chief's last appearance, and he will no doubt have much to say on the blue brand.
Away from the Head Of The Table, there will be much fallout from the premium live event to unpack. With 13 blue brand stars featured in three of the five matches on the card, there will be no shortage of story threads to explore. And then, of course, there will be the small matter of Triple H making a rare appearance.
As we look forward to a stacked WWE SmackDown season premiere, here are four post-Fastlane questions that should be addressed
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#5: What will Triple H's role be on the WWE SmackDown season premiere?
Triple H will make a rare on-screen bow on the post-Fastlane WWE SmackDown, and no reason why has been given thus far. Since taking over creative, The Game has appeared sporadically on television, usually to make big announcements. Thus, many fans think he might have a big revelation up his sleeve this Friday.
Will he announce some sort of tournament or new tag team titles, perhaps split between brands? Will he finally reveal what brand Jade Cargill will be on, or perhaps the return of War Games? Maybe he will simply thank the fans for supporting the company to kick off a new "season" of the blue brand. Whatever it may be, fans will find out by the end of the night.
#4: How will John Cena and LA Knight kick on from their Fastlane victory?
John Cena and LA Knight picked up a huge win over Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso at Fastlane 2023. Three days later, both WWE SmackDown babyfaces showed up on NXT in separate capacities, helping the developmental brand win the "ratings war" against AEW Dynamite Title Tuesday. Both men are expected to feature on the blue brand, kicking off their roads to Crown Jewel.
Will John Cena kick off a singles feud with Solo Sikoa leading up to the Saudi show? How will the company capitalize on The Megastar's momentum from a huge win in Indianapolis? Will Knight continue his involvement with The Bloodline? With War Games rumored to be returning at Survivor Series, will the duo find themselves in group warfare against Jimmy Uso, Sikoa and co?
SmackDown will have the answers.
#3: What's next for the United States and Undisputed tag title scenes?
The United States Title was not defended at Fastlane, with champion Rey Mysterio instead competing in a six-man tag team match. Mysterio's team defeated Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits, courtesy of a Carlito return late into the match. Earlier in the night, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso won the Undisputed Tag Team Titles, making them, among other things, the newest champions on WWE SmackDown.
What fallout will come of these events on the blue brand? How will Carlito be used going forward? Who will step up to challenge Rey Mysterio for the US Title? Is Santos Escobar's pursuit of the midcard title done? How will Bobby Lashley react to his team's loss at the PLE? Will The Street Profits face consequences after the loss? Which blue brand tag teams will target Rhodes and Uso?
There will be plenty to unpack on Friday night. Yeet!
#2: Who will Iyo Sky face at WWE Crown Jewel 2023?
Iyo Sky passed arguably the biggest test of her WWE Women's Championship reign so far by surviving Charlotte Flair and Asuka at Fastlane. The Genius of The Sky outlasted the two all-time greats, albeit with a bit of help from Bayley, to solidify herself as champion.
Given that she has already defeated The Empress Of Tomorrow in singles action, will Sky's next challenge be The Queen at Crown Jewel? Will a new challenger emerge? Could Bianca Belair make a blockbuster return to challenge the woman who cashed in on her? Will the underlying tensions between Bayley and Sky be furthered with a split down the road in mind?
The women's division on WWE SmackDown has been solid lately, so fans can expect some intriguing answers on Friday night
#1: How will the returning Roman Reigns react to The Bloodline's Fastlane failure on WWE SmackDown?
As Roman Reigns returns to WWE SmackDown after two months away, The Tribal Chief's Island Of Relevancy has seen better days. Not only is Paul Heyman losing control over Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa, but The Judgment Day also recently challenged his authority. Add that to Jey Uso going to RAW and winning tag team gold with Cody Rhodes, and it feels like Reigns' iron grip on WWE is loosening.
Will The Tribal Chief get Sikoa and Uso back in line? Will he punish them for losing at Fastlane? Who will he direct them to target in order to rectify their shortcoming? Who will challenge him for Crown Jewel? Will he have anything to say about Cody and Jey, or Cena and Knight, or The Judgment Day? Could we finally see a face-off between Mami and The Tribal Chief?
There should be plenty of fireworks on WWE SmackDown!
