SmackDown airs tonight (Oct. 30) with a live show emanating from Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, West Virginia. This is the third episode of SmackDown during the four week build to Crown Jewel, which takes place on November 7 and is somehow still scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s a very strange way to show the wrestlers that safety is “paramount” to TKO / WWE.
Tiffany Stratton is here to save fans from a Nikki Bella world title run
WWE is getting in on the Halloween spirit by promoting tonight’s show as “Danhausen’s Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown.” What kinds
of tricks and treats does WWE have in store for its fans?
One cruel trick might be for Nikki Bella to become the new WWE women’s champion. The undisputed Hall of Famer is fresh off a loss to Paige but somehow still challenging Chelsea Green for the top prize in the women’s division tonight.
The loss to Paige means this might be a title match that Green can actually win on her own. However, if Bella leans on her Hall of Fame skills in the ring then she can easily outclass the champ. But don’t fret about a possible Bella world title run, because Tiffany Stratton is probably lurking in the shadows ready to turn heel on Chelsea and win the WWE women’s championship for herself.
Stratton has already teased multiple cash-ins over the last week on Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan. It’s probably a diversion so fans are less likely to expect it when she actually cashes in on Green. Could it happen tonight? I think so, especially given that it’s mischief night, which calls for some nasty tricks. However, that would change the Crown Jewel match to Morgan vs. Stratton rather than Morgan vs. Green, and running a heel vs. heel match doesn’t seem like the best idea.
Is this the night where Stratton plays a trick and shows her true intentions with the Money in the Bank briefcase? Tune into SmackDown to find out.
The rest of the card
Roman Reigns warned Sami Zayn there is still time for him to lose the WWE championship before Crown Jewel, and it might happen tonight when the Last Real Good Guy puts his title on the line against United States Champion Trick Williams. Once again, changing the Crown Jewel match from Reigns vs. Zayn to Reigns vs. Williams doesn’t seem likely. If anything, Money in the Bank contract holder Penta is probably more likely than Trick to walk out of Danhausen’s Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown as the new WWE champ.
One more title match on tonight’s card is AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix vs. Ricky Saints. WWE needed a fall guy for last week’s main event, so Saints was added to the match at the last second to serve that purpose. Does that mean anything for his chances to win this championship rematch against Fenix? Can Saints refrain from putting his hands on the referee this time, or is the whole point to lead to a Saints vs. Charles Robinson feud?
Finally, it only makes sense that Danhausen will have a prominent role on a show that’s themed as Danhausen’s Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown. GUNTHER said he will make sure it’s a special night for Danhausen. Will the Ring General instead end up getting cursed and sent on a flight to a war zone in Saudi Arabia to fight Finn Balor?
Other stuff to keep an eye on
– Speaking of dangerous war zones, WWE now has Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton doing a Last Man Standing match in Saudi Arabia. Will Cody punt someone else’s head off before we get there, or is it time for the babyface to eat an RKO?
– CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens is happening next week in Brooklyn, but neither star sounds all that interested in fighting each other. Will that lacking sense of urgency change with a big angle on tonight’s show?
– Jade Cargill helped Michin and B-Fab shock fans last week by winning the WWE women’s tag team titles from Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss. Do Paxley and Bliss get a rematch for the gold soon, or will Charlotte Flair ask to be in the match instead? How does Fatal Influence factor into this angle, if at all?
– Damian Priest is a bad man who doesn’t have anyone to fight after injuring R-Truth a couple weeks ago. Is there anything to read into the nasty look he gave Rey Fenix last week?
– Blake Monroe may have had her breakout performance last week when she defeated Giulia in a Street Fight. Is their feud now over after The Glamour won both matches? If so, which babyface does Blake plan to mess with next?
– The scheduled match between WWE Tag Team Champions MFT and Bakusai never started last week thanks to some pre-match shenanigans where Kyoki stole Haku’s stick. Will GM Nick Aldis try to book this match again for tonight? Or is it time to feed Fraxiom to one of these teams?
– Danhausen’s Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown is sure to have some Halloween comedy segments with costumes and candy. Does this call for Kit Wilson and The Miz to steal the show?
– Where the f*** is Jordynne Grace?
What will you be looking for on SmackDown?
