3 Matches That Can Be Added In Tonight’s Episode Of WWE Smackdown – 17th November 2023

Friday Night SmackDown returns tonight live from the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana as WWE builds towards next weekend’s Survivor Series premium live event. With just one week to go until the annual interbrand extravaganza, WWE will likely look to finalize the card and build up the top matches.

One of the most anticipated matches already confirmed for Survivor Series is the men’s WarGames match, which will pit The Bloodline against Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, Sheamus and The Brawling Brutes. There are sure to be some big developments in the build-up to this match tonight.

In addition to the WarGames hype, WWE will also need to find a replacement for the injured Rey Mysterio on Team SmackDown at the Survivor Series. Mysterio underwent knee surgery earlier this week after an attack from his now-former stablemate Santos Escobar last Friday night on SmackDown. With Mysterio now sidelined for the foreseeable future, his spot on Team SmackDown remains up for grabs.

Escobar’s vicious assault on Mysterio came after tensions boiled over between the two lucha libre legends following Carlito’s loss to Bobby Lashley. Escobar took exception to Mysterio showing support for Carlito after the match, leading the Leader of Legado Del Fantasma to viciously attack his fellow LWO member.

Now that Mysterio is out recovering from knee surgery, WWE may look to insert Escobar into a match with Carlito tonight on SmackDown. The two men have unfinished business after last week’s incident, and a singles match between them tonight would allow Escobar and Carlito to settle their brewing rivalry.

Having Escobar pick up a win over Carlito would establish him as a threat to potentially replace Mysterio on Team SmackDown at Survivor Series. As one of the top rising stars on the SmackDown brand, Escobar could be an intriguing addition to the men’s 5-on-5 elimination match at the premium live event.

A match between Santos Escobar and Carlito tonight on SmackDown would provide an opportunity for the ruthless Leader of Legado Del Fantasma to gain momentum while also getting retribution on Carlito. Their issues stem from last week’s incident with Mysterio, and a one-on-one contest tonight would allow them to fight out their differences.

Last week’s episode of SmackDown saw the women’s WarGames match for the upcoming Survivor Series take shape, but not without some shocking betrayal. In the main event, Asuka turned on her partners Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair, aligning herself with Damage CTRL’s Bayley, IYO SKY and Dakota Kai.

The new faction was formed earlier in the night when IYO and Dakota recruited returning superstar Kairi Sane into Damage CTRL, claiming they needed her to ‘take the load off’ Bayley. Kairi accepted the offer, forgiving Bayley for the previous attack that put Kairi out of action for nearly three years.

Now with Asuka shockingly joining forces with Damage CTRL, the WarGames match at Survivor Series appears set to feature Bayley, IYO, Dakota, Kairi and Asuka against Bianca, Charlotte, Shotzi and a mystery fourth partner.

Given how abruptly Asuka turned on Charlotte last week, tensions are running high between the two former allies. As a result, we could see Charlotte and Asuka clash in a singles match tonight on SmackDown.

Charlotte likely feels betrayed by her now-former partner, and will be eager to get retribution against the woman who turned her back on Team SmackDown. Asuka has aligned with Damage CTRL for an unknown reason, but a match against Charlotte would allow her to prove she made the right move.

If the match takes place, look for plenty of outside interference from the rest of Damage CTRL. While Asuka and Charlotte battle in the ring, don’t be surprised if Bayley, IYO and Dakota get physically involved on Asuka’s behalf.

This could potentially bring out Bianca Belair and other members of Team SmackDown for the save, evening the odds against Damage CTRL. The mass chaos and disorder could then lead to SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis coming out with security and referees to try and regain control.

In the end, Aldis may have no choice but to make the WarGames match official given the unrest between the two factions. This Charlotte Flair vs Asuka dream match could be the final spark that ignites the WarGames showdown at Survivor Series.

Both women will be eager to get a leg up on the other before entering the dangerous double-ring enclosed cage in just a few weeks. A hard-hitting singles contest tonight could demonstrate who has the upper hand before their teams collide at the premium live event.

Logan Paul captured the WWE United States Championship from Rey Mysterio at Crown Jewel, but he may have a new challenger in his sights. In a recent social media post, Paul took shots at several WWE superstars including LA Knight while jokingly trying to pawn off his newly won title.

Knowing Paul’s tendency to use his platform to stir up controversy, his comments targeting Knight could foreshadow a future rivalry between the two. Though there is no clear number-one contender for Paul’s championship right now with Mysterio injured, Knight seems eager to step up to the self-proclaimed “New Face of WWE.”

Paul claimed in his video that there’s no chance Knight would be taking the United States title from him anytime soon. He clearly sees the loud-mouthed Knight as an unworthy challenger. But Knight may have other plans in mind, hoping to dethrone the social media celebrity turned WWE Superstar.

These two contrasting personalities and wrestling styles could make for an intriguing feud over the star-spangled championship. Knight relies on his technical prowess and veteran experience, while the rookie Paul brings flare and unpredictability.

A championship match between them has the potential to be both entertaining and hard-hitting. Knight will likely take exception to Paul’s dismissive comments, forcing his way into the title picture on SmackDown.

With Paul still new to WWE, facing an established veteran like Knight would be a great test to see if he really has what it takes to be a fighting champion. The Maverick’s doubters remain, and Knight will be looking to expose him on the big stage.

A war of words on social media could soon spill over to Friday nights. Don’t be surprised if WWE books Logan Paul to defend his United States Championship against LA Knight in the near future. Their brewing rivalry hints at an impending clash over the star-spangled title.