4 Things WWE subtly told us on the go-home episode of SmackDown before Royal Rumble
The final episode of WWE SmackDown before Royal Rumble 2025 has come to an end. This week’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown finished with a tag team match where Damian Priest and LA Knight defeated Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu.
Additionally, a wild altercation between Kevin Owens and CM Punk also took place on the show. In this article, we will discuss four things WWE subtly told us on the go-home edition of the blue brand before Royal Rumble 2025.
#4. A feud between Kevin Owens & CM Punk teased on the show
Kevin Owens and CM Punk were engrossed in a heated confrontation on this week’s SmackDown. The crowd burst into massive chants during their intense face-to-face segment. During their sparring, both stars took shots at each other, hinting at a potential future feud between them. A possible showdown at WrestleMania 41 was even teased.
This could unfold if CM Punk wins the Rumble match and Kevin Owens dethrones Cody Rhodes. In such a scenario, fans could see Punk vs. Owens at 'Mania 41. While the chances of this happening at WrestleMania are slim, the seeds for a future showdown between them have certainly been planted.
#3. Shinsuke Nakamura might soon target Jimmy Uso on SmackDown
Jimmy Uso finally secured a victory over Carmelo Hayes on this week’s SmackDown, which seems like the start of his singles run. However, as Big Jim was making his entrance for the match, fans noticed that United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura was standing in the background menacingly. The King of Strong Styles was staring at the OG Bloodline member, subtly hinting at a feud.
So, it seems like WWE could soon be seeing a feud between these two stars, with the US Title potentially on the line.
#2. Jacob Fatu is set to destroy everyone at Royal Rumble
Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga suffered a loss on tonight's SmackDown against LA Knight and Damian Priest in a tag team bout. However, the post-match scenario subtly confirmed that The Samoan Werewolf is ready to destroy everyone in the men's traditional Rumble match.
Despite the loss, Fatu immediately emerged from ringside and destroyed The Archer of Infamy post-match. This shows that Jacob is still portrayed as a strong star and could hint at his impending domination in the Men's Royal Rumble Match.
#1. Tama & Jacob could be coming for the WWE Tag Team titles
During a backstage segment, WWE subtly hinted that The New Bloodline could soon be going after the WWE Tag Team Titles. This hint was dropped when Tama Tonga stared at the tag team titles held by DIY backstage. Soon after, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano took their titles and clutched them tightly.
This confrontation suggests that, regardless of who emerges as the victor in the Royal Rumble two-out-of-three falls match for the tag titles, Bloodline 2.0 could be coming for them to take back the tag titles.
