WWE Friday Night SmackDown Season Premiere Preview
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
Get prepared for the season premiere of Friday Night SmackDown with a handy guide on the most pertinent stories to watch for.
Over the last two months, following the real-life appointment of Triple H as head of creative, WWE TV has undergone a bit of a transformation.
This includes big wrestler returns such as Karrion Kross, Dakota Kai and Johnny Gargano, character changes for Superstars like Matt Riddle and Bayley, new stories, Easter eggs and more.
However, if you’re not caught up, this list will bring you up to speed on what to expect from tonight’s show (8 p.m. ET on FOX).
1) Roman Reigns and Logan Paul
Yes, you read that right.
Social media superstar Logan Paul recently signed with WWE, and in only his second singles match, he’ll be facing off against Undisputed Universal champ Roman Reigns next month at Crown Jewel.
This story began just a few weeks ago after "The Head of the Table" made an appearance on Logan’s "Impaulsive" podcast.
The two had a light-hearted chat about the business that ended in pleasantries, but when Roman left the room, a planned angle began in which Paul told his friends he could beat Reigns if given the opportunity.
Logan then threw out an official challenge during a press conference in Las Vegas that ended with him getting shoved by the champ.
That means the big question heading into tonight’s face-to-face is this: Does Logan Paul have the guts to shove him back?
Sheamus and GUNTHER wrestled each for the first-time last month at Clash at the Castle – and it was a contender for match of the year.
Their bout was an intense, hard-hitting affair that saw the crowd in Cardiff lose their minds for both competitors.
An unexpected result, however, was Sheamus and the Brawling Brutes becoming babyfaces following his loss at the event.
Now, the future WWE Hall of Famer gets another opportunity to achieve "Ultimate Grand Slam Champion" status by getting one more Intercontinental Championship match against an unstoppable force in GUNTHER. This should be can’t-miss (if you enjoy brutality).
3) White Rabbit clues
This story began a few weeks ago with WWE playing the song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane during commercial breaks for the live audience. People began to take notice and the buzz went viral.
It begat "White Rabbit" clues being brought to WWE TV via on-screen QR codes that have, well, led fans down the rabbit hole.
Those clues seem to be pointing to a big reveal at Extreme Rules, with the leading theory being Bray Wyatt's possible return.
Be on the lookout for more clues tonight.
Sami Zayn gets into it with Jey Uso before falling to Ricochet on SmackDown
"The Honorary Uce" has been one of the best parts of Friday Night SmackDown since linking up with The Bloodline.
One person not feeling it, however, has been Jey Uso.
Despite Sami seemingly getting along splendidly with everyone else in the group, Jey continues to be suspect of Zayn’s intentions, and it’s only a matter of time before things boil over between them.
In the meantime, watch this segment if you haven’t yet. It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end.
Roman Reigns gifts Sami Zayn his own Bloodline shirt on SmackDown
5) LA Knight teases
Former NXT wrestler LA Knight was called up to the main roster in April of this year as Max Dupri, the manager of "Maximum Male Models."
Over the last few weeks, though, he’s been teasing the possibility of reverting to his former persona.
It first began with a mention of the word night, then a mention of LA, and eventually outright saying the gimmick might not have been for him.
This led to a breaking point last week when Dupri attacked his clients, then walked off in a way that has most fans expecting a change soon.
Will that happen tonight? We’ll have to wait and see.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
