WWE SmackDown Predictions: Sasha Banks Will Definitely Turn Heel

2.) Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair [Tag Match]

On last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax made a special visit to SmackDown due to the wild card rule involving the Women’s Tag Team Championships. They teased a future Women’s Tag Team Championship match, so it is foreseeable that they could battle in non-title action on this episode to set up a title match at either the Elimination Chamber PPV or a future episode of SmackDown. However, there is a caveat that deserves consideration.

There are two other tag contenders for the Women’s Tag Team Titles: Raw’s Naomi and Lana and NXT’s Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. Naomi and Lana won a triple threat number one contender’s match against Queens of Tomorrow and Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke to become the next challengers for the Women’s Tag Team Titles, while Kai and Gonzalez won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic to become future challengers for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Banks and Belair could join that list of challengers by defeating Baszler and Jax in non-title action. Our Simon Hannig has already argued why Bianca Belair should challenge Sasha Banks for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 37. As can be substantiated by Sasha Banks’ conversation with Paul Heyman on Talking Smack, this temporary alliance with Belair will be WWE’s way of setting up a heel turn for Banks in order to avoid a face-face bout at Mania.

Prediction: Sasha Banks & Bianca Belair

1.) Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, & Kevin Owens vs. Jey Uso, King Corbin, & Sami Zayn [6-Man Tag Match]

On last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, King Corbin, and Sami Zayn all qualified for the Universal Title Number One Contender’s Elimination Chamber match in tag team qualification matches. Meanwhile, Jey Uso and Kevin Owens were automatically qualified due to the idea that they took Roman Reigns to his limits in their past Universal Title matches against him. Since they lost in those title matches, however, they really should not be in this chamber match.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Seth Rollins would have been more suitable contestants for the Chamber. Nakamura almost survived a gauntlet match in January to become the number one contender for the Universal Title until Roman Reigns intentionally screwed him to get an easy title match against Adam Pearce. Meanwhile, Seth Rollins is already billed as a main event player and returned with an attack on Cesaro. That feud could have continued inside the Elimination Chamber.

Although Nakamura got robbed of a sensible title opportunity due to petty contractual reasons and Rollins’ return fell flat after two months of paternity leave, the Universal Title Number One Contender’s Elimination Chamber match still has worthy competitors who are chomping at the bit for the top spot on SmackDown. As mentioned earlier, the WWE has already officially announced this six-man tag match for the main event of this episode.

Since Bryan, Cesaro, and Owens are the babyfaces and thereby have the highest chances of winning the Chamber this Sunday to fight the heel Roman Reigns in the same night, it makes sense for them to win. There is no need for 50:50 booking when there are six competitors involved, so the heels don’t need to win on the go-home show. Daily DDT will be with you for Elimination Chamber this Sunday with live results, highlights, and ratings. Stay tuned.

Prediction: Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, & Kevin Owens