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SmackDown this week promises to be an exciting one. With a big main event, we're only three episodes away from Fastlane 2021. SmackDown was interesting last week, with the build to WrestleMania 37 continuing.
Since the Steel Cage match is the biggest one on SmackDown this week, let's take a look at some possible surprises that we could see on SmackDown.
#5. What lies ahead in the Steel Cage match on SmackDown?
Last week on SmackDown, Daniel Bryan came out to confront Roman Reigns. As you know, Daniel Bryan won the six-man SmackDown Elimination Chamber match, earning the right to face Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.
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The problem was that he would have to face Reigns immediately after winning the Chamber match and was easily defeated since he was already worn out. On SmackDown the following week, Daniel Bryan challenged Roman Reigns to a Universal Championship match at Fastlane, but Jey Uso interjected, telling Daniel Bryan that he needs to get through him first to claim a title shot.
So the main event of SmackDown was all set, and Daniel Bryan seemed to be on the verge of winning, but he was attacked by Roman Reigns. The episode ended with Bryan staring at the lights while the Universal Champion stood tall.
On Talking Smack, Paul Heyman revealed that Daniel Bryan would face Jey Uso in a rematch on SmackDown the following week. The stipulation is that if Daniel Bryan wins, he gets a Universal Title shot at Fastlane, but if he loses, then he will have to acknowledge Roman Reigns as the Head of the table.
Daniel Bryan agreed to the match on SmackDown, but only on the condition that it happens inside a Steel Cage to get a clear-cut winner. However, we know that in WWE, a Steel Cage doesn't guarantee a straightforward match.
A lot of people have been wondering what Edge's role in the Steel Cage match on SmackDown will be. Some believe that he will return to save Daniel Bryan, possibly setting up a tag team match for Fastlane.
However, Edge's role could end up being absolutely nothing. You read that right. While the possibility of Edge being on SmackDown is high, there isn't much of an incentive for him to help Daniel Bryan.
We saw in their recent backstage interaction on SmackDown that Daniel Bryan openly said that he didn't think Edge could beat Roman Reigns. While Edge is the babyface in the match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, we mustn't forget that this is still The Rated-R Superstar.
One of the best subtleties of his character is that despite being a babyface, he still holds fragments of his classic heel side. He is clearly only self-driven and interested, which is why he may not even help Daniel Bryan on SmackDown.
#4. Bianca Belair's journey to take a bit of a turn on SmackDown?
Last week on SmackDown, 2021 Women's Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair made her decision for WrestleMania. She told SmackDown Women's Champion Sasha Banks that she was her choice of opponent for WrestleMania 37.
And just like that, the second match for WrestleMania 37 was official - Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair for the SmackDown Women's title. Now that the match is official, how does WWE go forward with the feud?
WWE announced the first match for Fastlane PPV, where Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair will challenge Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.
So far, the two have only taken underhanded shots at each other but aren't outright rivals. If anything, they seem more like allies. But that can't last for too long.
To add to it, Reginald's constant involvement in their segments seems suspicious. Since Carmella hasn't been heavily featured this past month, she has been on the down-low.
We suspect that Reginald's involvement will lead to Carmella getting inserted into the SmackDown Women's title match at WrestleMania - making it a Triple Threat bout.
This week on SmackDown, Bianca Belair faces one-half of the Women's Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler.
#3. Sami Zayn's antics on SmackDown could take a new turn
Sami Zayn has consistently been one of the most entertaining parts of SmackDown. While it was hard to imagine him as anything other than a babyface when he debuted on RAW in 2016, he has come a long way.
With a mix of alliances, last week, Sami Zayn teamed up with King Corbin to unsuccessfully challenge The Street Profits. The former SmackDown Tag Team Champions regained momentum after losing their titles and could be in the title picture.
For Sami Zayn, however, there is no title picture anytime soon. We wonder what the endgame of his current run on SamckDown is, but his involvement with King Corbin is quite telling in itself.
We certainly don't expect a big WrestleMania match for Sami Zayn, but a lot could still happen on SmackDown in terms of his character development. Despite his lunacy and conspiracy theories, Sami Zayn has been so good on SmackDown that it would be a big surprise to see him suddenly turn face.
#2. Apollo Crews to take it to the next level on SmackDown
Apollo Crews debuted a new character on SmackDown last week. While we have only really seen a single dimension to his character until 2020, his run on SmackDown recently has been exceptional - and arguably as good as his run on RAW post-WrestleMania 36 last year.
After he assaulted Intercontinental Champion Big E, Apollo Crews revealed his true heritage and the fact that he belongs to Nigerian Royalty. He said that he didn't come from "the hood', and berated the Intercontinental Champion.
He faced and defeated Shinsuke Nakamura on SmackDown after his promo, and it seems to indicate that he has taken a big step forward. If Big E is to return to SmackDown tonight, then he could face the wrath of the new-and-improved Apollo Crews.
We hope that the feud on SmackDown reaches a new level of intensity because both stars are on the rise. While we expect Big E to come out looking better from the rivalry, we're interested to see how Apollo Crews continues to get back at the Intercontinental Champion.
#1. What will happen between Seth Rollins and Cesaro on SmackDown?
Seth Rollins returned to SmackDown recently, and after isolating the entire locker room, he had a bone to pick with Cesaro. Cesaro has had a lot of momentum on SmackDown, and some thought he would be a Universal title challenger at this stage.
While that isn't the case, a feud against one of WWE's biggest stars isn't a bad spot to be in. His run as a face has been impressive, but one has to wonder how far Cesaro can really get on SmackDown.
We're not even sure if their match will happen at Fastlane or WrestleMania 37. The latter would be a better stage, allowing another month of build-up on SmackDown.
Cesaro could end up beating Seth Rollins, or vice versa. But a major twist would be if Cesaro suddenly ended up joining forces with his rival - putting an end to his relatively short-lived face turn.
What will happen this week on SmackDown when Cesaro and Seth Rollins go face-to-face?
