WWE SmackDown Preview: New title feud for Extreme Rules to begin today, possible twist in Braun Strowman vs Bray Wyatt? (July 3, 2020)
We are all set for this week's episode of SmackDown which has quite a few interesting segments planned for the night. One championship match has been confirmed for tonight's show as AJ Styles is scheduled to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Drew Gulak.
Apart from that, WWE have announced two more segments. First, Matt Riddle will appear in an interview segment with Michael Cole during which he is expected to discuss his SmackDown debut, his win over AJ Styles, and his future plans on the Blue brand. Second, Sheamus intends to 'celebrate' Jeff Hardy, but the segment is not expected to run as smoothly as the Celtic Warrior would hope.
The SmackDown Tag Team Championship picture has been quite dull lately. It will be interesting to see if WWE have anything planned for the division this week.
In this article, we will take a look at things that can unfold on tonight's episode of SmackDown. So, without further ado, let's begin.
#1 New Intercontinental Championship feud to begin today on SmackDown?
As confirmed by WWE, this week's episode will see the Intercontinental Championship being put on the title as AJ Styles is set to square off against Drew Gulak in a title match. The 'Phenomenal One' defeated Daniel Bryan to become the new IC Champion on SmackDown. During a special segment dedicated to his victory, Styles got into an altercation with Bryan once again.
After the two Superstars engaged in banter, Bryan suggested that Styles should be a fighting champion and even picked out a Superstar who will prove to be a serious challenger to Styles' title reign. Bryan suggested that Styles should defend his title against Drew Gulak in order to prove himself as a dominating champion.
Styles seemed sceptical about the idea, and initially, he resisted being involved in a title match against Drew Gulak. But it was later confirmed that the two Superstars would indeed lock horns with the Intercontinental Championship on the line.
It is fair to assume that Styles won't be losing his title anytime soon on SmackDown. Therefore, he is expected to pick a win over Drew Gulak tonight. That said, Styles will need an opponent for Extreme Rules: The Horror Show, and he might find one after successfully defending his title against Gulak.
We could see him being attacked following the match. We could see Matt Riddle challenging AJ Styles for the title as WWE has already teased a feud between both the Superstars. It will be interesting to see what's in store for Styles on SmackDown in the coming weeks.