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Tonight's episode of SmackDown was filmed on Tuesday night in Lafayette, Louisiana. We've got a spoiler report for you here. If you just want to get ready for the show without knowing who wins and loses, read on!
The Headliner
Keeping with last week's strategy of pre-announcing a bunch of stuff for Thursday nights on SmackDown's new network home of USA Network, WWE clued us in to no less than three different matches taking place on the show.
Not to short-shrift Dean Ambrose & Neville vs. Kevin Owens & Sheamus, or The Wyatts vs. The Dudleyz, but top billing has to go to new United States champion Kalisto's first title defense against the man he took the belt from on Monday, Alberto Del Rio.
After a non-title win on the blue brand last Thursday, the masked Superstar got a championship on Monday night. And he made the most of it, besting Del Rio in a thrilling contest that was one of the highlights of Raw.
Tonight, they'll face off for the third time in as many shows. Will Kalisto keep his recent roll going, or can Alberto prove the perrito's victory was a fluke?
(WWE has already spoiled this one themselves, if you really want to know)
The Title Scene
Roman Reigns knew he was going to have fight major odds to retain his WWE World Heavyweight championship when Vince McMahon declared he would be defending the belt in the Royal Rumble match. We now know that the Big Dog's quest to win back-to-back Rumbles means he'll have to do something he's never done - beat Brock Lesnar.
The Intercontinental title might as well be the Hardcore championship the way Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens are feuding over it. Their fight for the belt on last week's SmackDown was inconclusive, because they'd rather beat the crap out of each other than legally continue a match. That's a trend that the Lunatic Fringe continued with Sheamus on Monday. Neville has gotten his butt kicked by KO after wins and losses, so that probably explains how he ends up the champ's partner against the Celtic Warrior and the Prizefighter tonight. That, and a little Teddy Long magic.
Becky Lynch doesn't just want Charlotte's Divas belt. She also wants her arm. The Lasskicker has had enough of both the champ and her father, Ric Flair. Expect her to get another shot by Royal Rumble one way or another.
Rooty Tooty Booty. I'm not sure what it means, either, but Chris Jericho's new signature taunt is getting a lot more attention than the tag belts New Day wears. Y2J's travelling companions The Usos got a win over the champs on Monday, so...
Other stuff to keep an eye on:
- Stardust & Titus O'Neil are feuding over...something...for some reason.
- It wasn't exactly a win, but with the help of maybe new member Ryback, the Social Outcasts stood tall over the Wyatt Family. Will Heath Slater, Adam Rose, Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel get involved in Bray & company's battle with the Dudleyz tonight?
- Paige and Sasha Banks have joined Nikki Bella on the disabled list, so don't expect a second women's storyline any time soon.
- Sting is going to the Hall of Fame! Hearing new SD play-by-play voice Mauro Ranallo talk about it should be pretty darn cool.
(Note: I know some folks have come looking for a more definitive match listing - that will be posted behind spoiler text in the comments. If WWE.com releases more information on anything that's officially going to take place on tonight's show, that'll be updated here)