Tonight’s WWE SmackDown in-ring segment between Cody Rhodes and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will take place early in the broadcast, according to PWInsider. This will most likely be the show’s opening segment, and the idea is that it will take place early so that they have as much time as they need.
Following the February 10 SmackDown episode, Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio exchanged lucha masks in a show of respect. You can watch that segment here, along with Escobar’s new comments on why that moment will live on in WWE history forever.
The Mysterio-Escobar program will continue as planned. According to a new report from Fightful Select, the SmackDown creative team recently requested that the mask that Mysterio gave Escobar be used in an upcoming angle. While Legado del Fantasma has not been officially announced for tonight’s show, he is in town for the SmackDown taping.
In tag team action on this week’s RAW, Solo Sikoa and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Jimmy Uso defeated The Street Profits. Following the match, Sikoa and Uso continued to attack The Profits, with a steel chair wrapped around Ford’s neck. Ford was pushed into a corner with the chair wrapped around his neck so that Sikoa could charge and smash him with the Rikishi splash. However, Kevin Owens rushed the ring to make the save, hitting Uso with a Stunner after hitting Sikoa with a superkick, before fleeing to the floor as fans cheered.
In an update, it appears that a similar angle will be featured on tonight’s SmackDown, as the chair angle on RAW was pitched as a recurring spot. Tonight’s SmackDown will feature Sikoa vs. Sami Zayn, with both The Usos and Roman Reigns in attendance, but it’s unclear where they’ll use this recurring chair spot. WWE needs to rebuild Zayn and Owens’ friendship so that they can challenge The Usos at WrestleMania, so this is expected to play out in various angles over the next few weeks.
Bobby Lashley is scheduled to appear on SmackDown Live tonight to continue his feud with Bray Wyatt from WrestleMania 39.
The following is the current show schedule from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC for tonight:
* Sami Zayn vs. Solo Sikoa
* Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley
* Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Tegan Nox and Natalya
* Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns makes first appearance since Elimination Chamber to sort out issues within The Bloodline
* Cody Rhodes returns to SmackDown to confront Roman Reigns in the ring
