Nick Aldis to give Cody Rhodes a new opponent; Roman Reigns' in-ring return? 4 things the WWE SmackDown GM can announce on this week's episode

WWE Friday Night SmackDown will be airing later tonight on the FOX Network. As the blue brand looks to move to USA Network next month, this will be one of the final episodes of the series to air on prime-time network television, at least for the foreseeable future.

The show is set to be a big one. Roman Reigns has been announced to appear, thus making it just the second SmackDown he'll be on since WrestleMania. A handful of other segments and matches have been announced as well.

Tiffany Stratton will help host a Nia Jax Championship Victory Ceremony, Andrade and Carmelo Hayes will run it back, Kevin Owens will take on Grayson Waller, and DIY face off against The Street Profits. Nick Aldis has put together quite the show.

That might not be all that the SmackDown General Manager has in store for fans, however. Aldis could make some big announcements on the upcoming program, which includes new matches, a change to a bout, and an intriguing stipulation. What announcements might he make on the blue brand?

Below are four things WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis can announce on this week's episode.

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#4. Kevin Owens could be replaced in the Undisputed WWE Championship match

WWE SmackDown last week saw a major match made for Bash in Berlin. Cody Rhodes will be defending his coveted Undisputed WWE Championship against Kevin Owens. Interestingly, though, Owens didn't really want the match.

The Prizefighter believes he didn't earn the title opportunity. Nick Aldis seemed to feel similarly, suggesting Roman Reigns should get the match instead. This set Owens off, however, as he and Roman have a long and negative past together. A fired-up Kevin accepted the match, albeit begrudgingly.

Nick Aldis could end up taking the match back, citing Owens' lack of confidence. In fact, he could even reveal that the former Universal Champion pulled out of the bout because he believed he didn't deserve it. This could then lead to someone else taking his place.

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#3. Solo Sikoa vs Roman Reigns could be confirmed for Bash in Berlin

While Nick Aldis may think Roman Reigns deserves a crack at the Undisputed WWE Championship, The Tribal Chief has his hands full. The big man returned to programming at SummerSlam 2024 and is now on a war path to take down The Bloodline.

At the big show, Roman nailed Solo Sikoa with the Superman Punch and a Spear. On WWE SmackDown, Reigns went on to destroy Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa. Solo was able to escape his wrath, but the two are certainly on a collision course.

An official date could be announced for their inevitable confrontation. Nick Aldis could reveal that the Original Tribal Chief and the self-proclaimed Tribal Chief in Solo will go one-on-one at Bash in Berlin. This would give even more star power to an already stacked event.

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#2. The Big 3 could face The Unholy Union and Blair Davenport on SmackDown in Berlin

The Big 3 are a beloved trio in WWE. Bianca Belair, Naomi, and Jade Cargill make up the group and, realistically speaking, they are about as good of a female faction as it gets. Bianca and Naomi are former world champions and Jade is a future world champion in her own right.

The three impressive women have been having issues with a newly formed trio. The WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre have had issues with Jade and Bianca, meanwhile, Blair Davenport and Naomi have been going at it. With Blair and The Unholy Union now united, this sets up a future Six-Woman Tag Team Match.

Nick Aldis could announce the match for Germany later this month. While Bash in Berlin would be most ideal, the bout could also be announced for SmackDown the prior night, which is also being held in Berlin, Germany.

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#1. Nick Aldis could ban Legado del Fantasma from ringside for an upcoming United States Championship match

LA Knight is the new WWE United States Champion. The Megastar was able to capture the belt at SummerSlam where he defeated Logan Paul. This was despite attempted interference from Paul's stooge and even MGK.

SmackDown last week saw a new number-one contender being decided. Santos Escobar managed to defeat Andrade in singles competition thanks to interference from Carmelo Hayes. Now, The Emperor of Lucha Libre has a shot at the Maverick's prized WWE title.

No date has been announced for the match yet, but Nick Aldis could add an interesting stipulation. He could reveal that Berto, Angel, and Elektra Lopez of Legado del Fantasma will be barred from ringside for the impending bout. This will likely keep things completely fair, which could be bad news for Santos.