SmackDown Preview: Former WWE Champion set for a return to the Blue brand, Huge Champion vs Champion match (May 22, 2020)
Following an eventful week, we are now set for an exciting episode of WWE SmackDown that has a stacked match card in store for us. From an elaborate tournament to crown a new champion to the added element of mystery, the Blue brand is exploring several themes of story-telling. The same pattern will continue this week.
On this week’s SmackDown, we will witness the return of AJ Styles, who is fondly remembered as the Superstar ‘who built SmackDown’. He will be taking on Shinsuke Nakamura in a much-anticipated bout. In other news, we will see a champion vs. champion clash unfold, which might act as a catalyst in the budding rivalry between two best friends.
This week will also see the SmackDown Tag Team Champions, the New Day, return to action. In addition, there’s an interesting mixed tag -team match scheduled for the show.
In this article, we will take a look at things that can happen on SmackDown tonight. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#5 AJ Styles set to face Shinsuke Nakamura on SmackDown tonight
Over the last few weeks, we have seen several WWE Superstars make an appearance on other brands as a part of the brand to brand invitation. Given the fact that the NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is on all the three shows and Baron Corbin recently squared off against Drew McIntyre, it’s not too surprising to see a top RAW Superstar scheduled to make an appearance on tonight’s episode of SmackDown.
As a part of the long tournament designed to crown the new Intercontinental Champion on SmackDown, AJ Styles will square off against his long-term rival and the former IC champion, Shinsuke Nakamura. It is expected that the Superstars will deliver a great match, as they share a long-standing history that dates back to the time before either of them were a part of WWE.
While Styles will look to make the best of this opportunity by trying to move ahead in the tournament by defeating Nakamura, the King of Strong Style has his own set of reasons motivating him to give his all in this upcoming bout. After all, it is only Nakamura who really has the support of Sami Zayn while the latter remains absent from SmackDown tapings.
As a safety precaution during these challenging times, Zayn decided to stay in quarantine. As a result, he was forced to relinquish his title. He has publicly criticized WWE for hosting a tournament to determine the new Intercontinental Champion. As unhappy as Zayn may seem, this situation has created the opportunity to see the former WWE Champion AJ Styles return to SmackDown – a house that he built.