WWE SmackDown preview (May 27, 2022): This show has nothing to offer Hell in a Cell

SmackDown airs tonight (May 27) with a live show from Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas. This is the third SmackDown episode during the four week build towards Hell in a Cell on June 5.

This show has nothing to offer Hell in a Cell

Hell in a Cell 2022 is coming up in nine days. There are four official matches booked for the card right now, and none of them involve the SmackDown roster.

Why is SmackDown contributing nothing to Hell in a Cell? You just have to take a quick look at the title scene to understand why.

Roman Reigns is the dominant WWE Universal champion. There are zero credible challengers on the SmackDown roster to face him, especially without Drew McIntyre around the last couple weeks. It’s no wonder Roman is taking the night off at a minor pay-per-view like Hell in a Cell.

The Usos are the undisputed WWE tag team champions. The only team in WWE who can match up with them is Raw’s RK-Bro. The SmackDown tag team division is a joke. The Viking Raiders and Los Lotharios are approaching jobber status. The New Day are struggling to deal with the Brawling Brutes. There is nobody on this roster for the Usos to face at Hell in a Cell.

It’s also very difficult to find a credible challenger for SmackDown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey. Ronda didn’t appear on last week’s episode and nobody has been set up as her next challenger. She beat Raquel Rodriguez a couple weeks ago. Most of the remaining women’s roster members are booked as losers or wrestlers who don’t matter. Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of WWE may have screwed up rumored plans for Ronda at Hell in a Cell, but it’s not much of an excuse for WWE having no backup plan in case something went awry.

Ricochet is the Intercontinental champion, and it looks like Gunther will be challenging him for that title soon. They just started a tease of this program last week, so it’s not clear if a title match is planned for Hell in a Cell.

The bottom line is that WWE has managed to build a roster that is so lacking in depth that, aside from the Intercontinental champion, it’s hard to find any interesting title fights that could be booked in time for Hell in a Cell. WWE needs to do better than this. There’s a rumor that Raw stars Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins are scheduled to be at SmackDown tonight. SmackDown has nothing to offer Hell in a Cell right now, so they might as well bring in the cavalry from Raw.

Other stuff to keep an eye on

- Xavier Woods has fared well against BUTCH in singles competition, but Sheamus and his Brawling Brutes consistently put a beating on the New Day thanks to that darn numbers game. Woods and Kofi Kingston have a MYSTERY PARTNER joining them for a six man tag tonight. I wonder who could it be?

- Happy Corbin is a sore loser, so he injured Madcap Moss. Moss is rumored to have a new presentation when he returns. Will he be back in time for another PPV match with Corbin at Hell in a Cell?

- Sami Zayn is trying to prove he belongs in The Bloodline, or that he is at least a useful ally for the group. His plan didn’t work out so well last week when he lost against Shinsuke Nakamura.

- Shotzi and Aliyah aren’t getting along these days. Shotzi did the job for Raquel Rodriguez last week, so maybe it’s Aliyah’s turn to do the job tonight.

- LA Knight Max Dupri is apparently bringing male models to SmackDown thanks to one of Sonya Deville’s final acts as an authority figure. How soon will it be until we are graced with the beautiful faces of MACE and Mansoor?

What will you be looking for on SmackDown tonight?