Last week’s episode of SmackDown shook up the landscape for the blue brand in a major way as Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
It was also announced during the episode that a series of qualifying matches would take place with the winner of each match advancing to a fatal four way match at Saturday Night’s Main Event to determine who would challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. The qualifying matches will kick off on SmackDown and the following bouts have been confirmed for this week’s show:
– Randy Orton vs. The Miz
– Damian Priest vs. Solo Sikoa
– Sami Zayn vs. Ilja Dragunov
– Matt Cardona vs. Trick Williams
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter it was speculated that Randy Orton, Trick Williams, Damian Priest and Sami Zayn will be advancing to the fatal four way match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Montreal with Sami emerging as the likely winner.
The idea is that Sami Zayn would go to Saudi Arabia, where he was previously banned from, but is now seen as a babyface due to his acceptance of their culture, and Sami would be going after McIntyre as he tries to win his first world title like he’s been talking about for years.
The Royal Rumble will air live from Saudi Arabia on Saturday, January 31. Stay tuned for updates.