3 things that could happen on SmackDown before Hell in a Cell (June 3, 2022)
The previous episode of SmackDown saw Shinsuke Nakamura and Riddle join forces against The Usos. On top of that, Ronda Rousey and Raquel Rodriguez defeated Shayna Baszler & Natalya in a tag team match. While it was a par show, the episode saw a decrease in viewership.
WWE will be looking to bounce back this Friday night when the go-home episode of SmackDown emanates live from The Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
The promotion has already announced that Madcap Moss will be returning on the upcoming episode of SmackDown to settle the scores with Happy Corbin. On top of that, AJ Styles and The Miz are scheduled to feature on the show.
In this piece, we discuss three things that could happen this Friday night.
#3. Shayna Baszler attacks Ronda Rousey on SmackDown
The previous episode of SmackDown saw Raquel Rodriguez take on Ronda Rousey in a Championship Contender's match. However, this turned into a tag team match after Natalya and Shayna Baszler intervened to attack the duo.
While the babyfaces went on to defeat the heels, WWE laid down the bread crumbs for a feud between Rousey and Baszler during the match.
Fans can expect WWE to start building on the feud beginning this week. Creative could have Baszler lay waste to Rousey on the upcoming episode of SmackDown to draw some much-required heat. A strong showing from the former NXT Champion early in the feud will have the fans invested in it.
#2. Jinder Mahal turns on Shanky
Jinder Mahal & Shanky lost to Los Lotharios on the previous episode of SmackDown. Following the match, an angry Jinder started yelling at Shanky, blaming him for the loss. However, the latter stood up to his partner before dancing in front of the announcer- Samantha Irwin.
WWE has been teasing a potential split between Jinder and Shanky for some time now. Given how things unfolded last week, fans can expect The Modern Day Maharaja to turn on his partner. Creative could have Mahal decimate Shanky this Friday night on SmackDown to lay down the breadcrumbs for a feud.
On another note, with Shanky's act getting positive reactions from the live audience, WWE has a chance of turning this into a comedic gold, something they have done so well with Ezekiel and Kevin Owens on RAW.
#1. WWE announces Riddle & Nakamura vs. The Usos for the Unified Undisputed Championship at Hell in a Cell
This week's episode of RAW saw Riddle & Shinsuke Nakamura earn a win via DQ over The Usos for a shot at the Undisputed Unified Tag Team Championship. While WWE has not announced a date for the match, that could change this Friday night.
The upcoming episode of SmackDown could witness WWE making the highly anticipated Championship match official for Hell in a Cell. With six bouts already announced for the event, expect this to complete the match card.
On another note, with The Usos likely to retain their titles, fans can expect the duo of Riddle & Nakamura to stand tall over the current champs on the go-home episode.