WWE SmackDown: 5 Spoilers you need to know for next week's episode (April 29th, 2022) - Roman Reigns' potential challenger revealed, Impactful debut
WrestleMania Backlash is now just two weeks away, and it appears that most of the card is already set aside from the main Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match.
WWE is now off on their European Tour, which means that this week's episode of SmackDown saw the company record two weeks of content instead of just one, and the spoilers for next week have already been leaked.
With the penultimate episode of Monday Night RAW ahead of Backlash already looking stacked, SmackDown needed to follow suit, and there are some interesting spoilers that fans need to know ahead of time.
#5. Shanky and Jinder Mahal could be going their separate ways
.@DilsherShanky wants a match with @KingRicochet! 👀
#SmackDown https://t.co/a7TaEsGzNO
This past week on SmackDown, Ricochet was challenged to an Intercontinental Championship match by Shanky as part of a backstage segment. It was clear that Jinder Mahal was the one who wanted the match, but Shanky was able to lay down the challenge first.
Ricochet will be able to come out on top against the much bigger superstar this coming week, but the story from this angle came after the match. After The One and Only was able to defeat Mahal's ally, the split between the two stars was once again teased.
Shanky could have a bright future in WWE as a singles star since he's the kind of talent that Vince McMahon is known to push, and these teases could go on for a few weeks, though, before the split becomes official.
#4. Raquel Rodriguez was victorious on her WWE SmackDown debut
After making a name for herself as Raquel Gonzalez on NXT over the past few years, the former Women's Champion has finally been called up to SmackDown and will make her debut on next week's show.
Gonzalez underwent a name change following her move to SmackDown and makes her in-ring debut as part of next week's show. As with many debuts in recent weeks, Gonzalez wrestled enhancement talent and was able to pick up a quick victory to put the women's locker room on notice.
#3. Ronda Rousey wins a Beat The Clock Challenge
"Things go awry during the #WMBacklash contract signing between @RondaRousey and @MsCharlotteWWE. #SmackDown https://t.co/uaJ3hUC1tY"
Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair are set to face off at WrestleMania Backlash in an "I Quit Match," but the two women will have to prove who can do it the fastest next week on SmackDown.
Rousey takes on the returning Shotzi while Charlotte Flair battles Aliyah. Although Rousey is able to defeat her opponent as part of the challenge, Charlotte Flair's clock expires while she has Aliyah in the Figure Eight Leg Lock.
Even though she was technically able to get the submission on and beat her opponent, she couldn't do it faster than the former UFC Champion.
#2. Drew McIntyre defeats Sami Zayn in a steel cage
Drew McIntyre warns Sami Zayn ahead of their Steel Cage Match next week on #SmackDown 👀
#WWE #DrewMcIntyre #SamiZayn https://t.co/73FRmR2CET
Sami Zayn has been ducking Drew McIntyre for weeks, and Adam Pearce thought that he had resolved the issue when he forced the two men to go one-on-one in a Lumberjack match last week.
This wasn't the case since Zayn was able to bring in The Bloodline and use the distraction to escape through the audience once again. WWE official Adam Pearce didn't accept that Zayn was able to get away and ordered him to face McIntyre next week in a steel cage.
Zayn was unable to escape the structure, and it was Drew McIntyre who picked up the victory after weeks of attempting to wrestle the former champion. This should now bring the feud between these two men to a close and leads on to the final spoiler quite nicely.
#1. Roman Reigns' WrestleMania Backlash opponent revealed?
During the #Smackdown tapings for next week, they kicked off the Roman Reigns-Drew McIntyre feud https://t.co/se4uNR4HoX
Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre have crossed paths in WWE several times, and now it appears that the Scottish star will be the one to step up to The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania Backlash.
The biggest story coming out of next week's show is that Roman and Drew set up the feud when they started brawling in the ring. McIntyre appears to have got the better of the champion after seeing him across the ring with a belly-to-belly suplex.
With WrestleMania Backlash now just two weeks away, and it will be just a week away when the show airs, the final SmackDown ahead of the event will likely be where the announcement for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match officially takes place.