WWE SmackDown Preview: Drew McIntyre Returns To London As Champion

The “Road to the Royal Rumble” makes a high-profile stop in the United Kingdom tonight, as WWE SmackDown emanates live from the OVO Arena Wembley in London. Fittingly, the show will be headlined by the return of the first-ever British WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre, who arrives in England’s capital with the company’s top prize firmly around his waist. McIntyre withstood the brutal “Three Stages of Hell” match last Friday night, defeating Cody Rhodes to become a three-time WWE Champion. While the “Scottish Warrior” will be expecting a hero’s welcome for his victory lap, questions remain regarding the status of “The American Nightmare” and the unpredictable Jacob Fatu, both of whom may look to interrupt the celebration.

The Race For The Number One Contendership

McIntyre won’t have to wait long to find out who his first challenger will be. Tonight marks the beginning of a tournament to crown a new Number One Contender, with four high-stakes singles matches set to take place. The winners of these bouts will advance to a Fatal 4-Way Match on January 24 at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

The field is stacked with former world champions and rising stars. Randy Orton will renew his storied rivalry with The Miz, a matchup that harkens back to Miz’s first WWE Championship cash-in against “The Viper” in 2010. Damian Priest, fresh off ending his feud with Aleister Black in an Ambulance Match, looks to climb back to the mountaintop against The Bloodline’s enforcer, Solo Sikoa. Meanwhile, Matt Cardona continues his quest to become a Grand Slam Champion as he faces SmackDown’s newest acquisition, Trick Williams. Finally, Sami Zayn seeks redemption in a rematch against Ilja Dragunov, the man who returned from injury to beat him for the U.S. Title previously.

Carmelo Hayes Issues An Open Challenge

Also on the card, Men’s United States Champion Carmelo Hayes is bringing his “Open Challenge” to London. Having already defended the gold against Johnny Gargano and Shinsuke Nakamura, Hayes has called for the best in the UK to step up. Speculation is running rampant that TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater could answer the call, following reports that Slater was pulled from TNA programming specifically to join the WWE European Tour.

Another Massive Debut Looming?

While the focus is on the advertised tournament, backstage whispers suggest another major player could shake up the blue brand tonight. Following the expiration of his AEW contract earlier this week, Powerhouse Hobbs is officially a free agent and eligible to sign with WWE immediately. Reports from Fightful Select indicate that WWE is looking to bypass NXT and bring Hobbs directly to the main roster, potentially as soon as tonight. With a chaotic Number One Contender picture and an open challenge on the books, the stage is perfectly set for the former AEW star to make a statement impact in London.