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We are set for the WWE SmackDown’s go-home show before Royal Rumble 2021. So far, only one title bout from the Blue brand, i.e. the Universal Championship match has been confirmed for the upcoming pay-per-view. That said, a lot can change on SmackDown tonight including the rise of top Royal Rumble favorites.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the things that can unfold on WWE SmackDown this week. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens’ brawl on WWE SmackDown
Roman Reigns’ heel turn and current run on WWE SmackDown is arguably the best thing in the pro wrestling business at the moment. He has nailed the role of an arrogant villain on the Blue brand and has been nothing short of brilliant in his feud with Kevin Owens. They are both set to lock horns at Royal Rumble on Sunday with the Universal Championship on the line.
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Last week on WWE SmackDown, Reigns addressed the WWE Universe and talked about how he is carrying the company on his back. While The Tribal Chief continued ridiculing several big names backstage, Adam Pearce walked out and asked the Universal Champion to stop. An agitated Reigns then started insulting Pearce, and the latter was not happy about it.
The fact that Paul Heyman was laughing all along irked Pearce even more. The latter ended up challenging Heyman to a match. Reigns denied helping his advisor, and Heyman thought he would have to deal with this altercation on WWE SmackDown all by himself. However, they both had other plans in store. While making his way to the ring, Heyman pretended to be ‘injured’, and Reigns walked out as a replacement.
He then went on to manhandle Adam Pearce on WWE SmackDown before Kevin Owens walked out. The latter would then lay a brutal attack on the champion before putting him through the announce table. Owens made a huge statement ahead of the pay-per-view and Reigns will look to do the same on the go-home show before Royal Rumble.
This could be the final match between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens for a while now. Thus, the creative would want to book a segment that will make their impending match a must-watch battle. Reigns will look to brutally attack Owens on WWE SmackDown tonight to show his challenger what is in store for him.
#2 Bianca Belair emerges as top Royal Rumble favorite on WWE SmackDown
Last week on WWE SmackDown, Bianca Belair and Bayley competed in an obstacle race challenge. The latter made the competition significantly difficult for her opponent. However, Belair prevailed and shocked the audience during one of the spots when she lifted Otis on her shoulder. She ended up winning the race, but Bayley decided to attack her.
This week, we could see both these Superstars lock horns in a singles match. A victory for Bianca Belair would be a much-needed addition to Belair’s momentum as she is one of the top favorites to win the Women’s Royal Rumble. The creative could use tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown to push her even more.
Between the likes of Alexa Bliss and Rhea Ripley, Belair would be the best option to emerge as the next challenger in the title picture. She is expected to win the Royal Rumble and challenge Sasha Banks for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship. Thus, she could use a big win over a former titleholder with whom she has been feuding for a few weeks.
#3 King Corbin continues his feud with the Mysterio family on WWE SmackDown
Over the last few episodes of WWE SmackDown, we have seen King Corbin get the better of Rey and Dominik Mysterio. He first defeated Rey Mysterio inside the ring and then did the same with his son, Dominik Mysterio. Taking Corbin’s gimmick into consideration, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to expect that he will turn his attention towards Aalyah Mysterio.
Corbin loves to exploit his opponent’s weakness, and he could use Aalyah Mysterio to manipulate his feud with the Mysterio family. Not to forget, she was the biggest reason why Corbin lost his match against Murphy during their previous meeting. It would be interesting to see what else could happen in this ongoing feud on WWE SmackDown.
Could we see Murphy return to action? Will there be friction between Rey and Dominik Mysterio as they have two different outlooks towards how they should handle Corbin? It is highly unlikely that Dominik Mysterio will get a win over King Corbin on WWE SmackDown this week. But if that happens, it would be huge for his momentum ahead of Royal Rumble 2021.
#4 Apollo Crews joins Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman on WWE SmackDown
One of the most interesting developments on WWE SmackDown in recent weeks is the potential alliance between Apollo Crews and Roman Reigns. The Tribal Chief once urged Crews to stay back and ‘learn a few things’ that would be helpful in his title quest. Following that, we saw Paul Heyman provoke Crews on Talking Smack.
Crews' response went viral on the Internet when he looked into Heyman’s eyes and said that he would win the Intercontinental Championship because he is more than capable of doing so. Despite his tone, Heyman seemed to have liked Crews' response, and even Reigns teased a plausible alliance with the former United States Champion.
This week on WWE SmackDown, we could see the creative add more substance to this narration. It would be interesting to see the likes of Roman Reigns and Jey Uso help Crews in his ongoing feud with Big E on WWE SmackDown. Moreover, it would lay the foundation of a possible feud between Roman Reigns and Big E in the future.
#5 Sami Zayn enters himself in the Intercontinental Championship picture on WWE SmackDown
Earlier this month, we saw Apollo Crews defeat Sami Zayn on WWE SmackDown. Last week, Zayn sought revenge when he stopped Crews from winning the title by interfering in the championship match. It is evident that Zayn is not happy to have lost his title and is now looking to get his hands back on the gold.
Tonight, on WWE SmackDown, we could see him involved in an altercation with both Big E and Apollo Crews. Eventually, this would lead to a triple-threat match between Zayn, Crews, and Big E for the IC title. While the last few weeks haven’t been very kind for Zayn, things could change for him starting tonight.
Overall, WWE SmackDown’s final show before Royal Rumble 2021 could show promising developments. We expect to see more title matches added to the card which currently boasts of just three matches. In addition to that, we expect to see a glimpse of what will happen on Sunday with top Superstars making big statements throughout the show.
