WWE SmackDown Preview (8/12): Intercontinental Championship Match, Women's Tag Team Title Tournament Continues
"WWE SmackDown" rolls into Raleigh, North Carolina — famously known as the City of Oaks — tonight, just three weeks out from the next premium live event, Clash at the Castle, which will take place across the pond in Cardiff, Wales.
Many fans will still likely be picking their jaws up from the floor following the shock return of Karrion Kross and Scarlett last week on the blue brand. The former "NXT" Champion attacked Drew McIntyre while Scarlett placed an hourglass on the ring apron in front of Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions the Usos. In the aftermath of the surprise appearance, many speculated if Kross would ultimately claim a place in the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship main event match set for the forthcoming premium live event. However, a recent report from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has indicated that Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre is still penciled in for Clash at the Castle. Nevertheless, further developments will likely be made on tonight's show to get a clearer picture of what WWE's head of creative Paul "Triple H" Levesque has mapped out for the returning star.
While it's unclear what will be happening with Reigns, McIntyre and Kross this evening — if all three are even booked to appear — what else is scheduled to take place on "WWE SmackDown" tonight?
Two high-stakes matches and a contract signing have been announced ahead of time
A huge WWE Intercontinental Championship match is slated to take place as Shinsuke Nakamura will challenge Gunther for the gold. The King of Strong Style earned the opportunity to win back the title he lost to Sami Zayn earlier this year after defeating Gunther's associate, Ludwig Kaiser, in a one-on-one match. Nakamura overcame Kaiser last week on "WWE SmackDown" and will now look to conquer The Ring General — who remains undefeated since joining "SmackDown" in April — to become a three-time Intercontinental Champion.
Another match with championship implications goes down when the team of Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah battle Xia Li and Shotzi in a WWE Women's Tag Team Championship tournament match. The tournament got underway this Monday on "WWE Raw," with Dakota Kai and IYO SKY advancing to the next round after eliminating Dana Brooke and Tamina. The titles have been vacant since May after then-WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi reportedly walked out prior to an episode of "WWE Raw" going live. Additionally in the women's division, reigning "SmackDown" Women's Champion Liv Morgan and challenger Shayna Baszler will have an official contract signing ahead of their collision booked for Clash at the Castle. Baszler won a gauntlet match on August 5 to punch her ticket to the premium live event, looking to capture the "SmackDown" Women's Championship for the first time in her career.