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As the holiday season rapidly approaches, WWE is bringing a gift of sorts to fans tonight on the Tribute to the Troops edition of WWE SmackDown in Providence, R.I.
Can Nick Aldis make CM Punk his second straight huge signing?
As you may have heard by now, CM Punk will appear tonight on SmackDown for the first time in ages. While his first promo back in WWE last week may not have exactly been a pipe bomb, fans will likely be worked into a frenzy again over seeing him live.
In storyline terms, Punk was invited to SmackDown by general manager Nick Aldis, who managed to convince fellow recent returnee Randy Orton to commit to Friday nights. That makes Punk feel like he’s headed for Raw, especially since Seth Rollins is his logical first target. But perhaps The Bloodline or other members of the SmackDown roster will try to sway him by throwing out a challenge, which is definitely something to keep an eye on tonight.
Can Randy Orton and LA Knight prove to be an effective team against The Bloodline?
There’s plenty of evidence at this point that going it alone against The Bloodline just doesn’t work. LA Knight has experienced that firsthand, and Orton is going to figure it out quickly as well.
Ah, but how about two solo stars joining forces? That’s proven to be more effective, and we’ll see it again in Providence as Knight and Orton take on Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.
This is kind of a reminder that with Roman Reigns on a reduced schedule and the likes of Jey Uso and Sami Zayn no longer with the group like they were at its peak, The Bloodline is short on pure numbers at the moment. But with Reigns returning next week, it behooves the fan favorites to take advantage while they can.
Will Charlotte Flair cause more fissures within Damage CTRL?
There’s been an undeniable feeling that Bayley isn’t on the same page with the rest of Damage CTRL, so every time one member has a match, there’s the potential for more drama. That could certainly be the case again tonight when Asuka takes on Charlotte Flair.
What if Bayley tries to help and it backfires … again? The patience shown by the rest of the group is pretty clearly wearing thin, and a mutiny to install IYO SKY as leader might be inevitable. This is certainly worth watching.
Also slated for SmackDown Tribute for the Troops:
- Two more United States Title Tournament matches: Dragon Lee vs. Santos Escobar and Bobby Lashley vs. Karrion Kross (remember him?)
WWE SmackDown Tribute to the Troops is set for 8 p.m. on Fox, so join us back here at that time for all the latest results and other happenings from Providence.