As Shinsuke Nakamura makes his highly anticipated return to the ring, excitement is building for tonight's WWE SmackDown at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Fans last saw "The King of Strong Style" in action on November 11, 2022, when Santos Escobar defeated him in the first round of the SmackDown World Cup.
Since then, Nakamura has briefly returned to Japan, where he faced The Great Muta as part of the legend's retirement tour at Pro Wrestling NOAH's The New Year 2023 show. Muta was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame during WrestleMania 39 week.
It remains to be seen who Nakamura's opponent will be on tonight's broadcast.
LA Knight Confronts Xavier Woods
In another exciting development, LA Knight and Xavier Woods are set to face off after last week's SmackDown. Knight crashed a gaming session between Woods and Madcap Moss, voicing his frustration over being left out of WrestleMania 39.
He destroyed The New Day members' console controller, leading to a confrontation that set the stage for tonight's match. The two competitors last met on the March 17 episode of SmackDown, when Woods, the 2021 King of the Ring winner, emerged victorious.
The WWE Universe also saw Matt Riddle save Sami Zayn from a brutal attack by Jey Uso and Solo Sikoa last week. This unexpected intervention led to "The Original Bro" teaming up with the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, Zayn and Kevin Owens, against The Bloodline.
Riddle has a personal score to settle with Sikoa, who injured him last year. Fans can expect Riddle to seek revenge on tonight's show in Lincoln. As the WWE Universe gears up for an action-packed evening on SmackDown, all eyes will be on the returning Shinsuke Nakamura, the escalating tension between LA Knight and Xavier Woods, and the ongoing rivalry involving Matt Riddle, Sami Zayn, and The Bloodline. With so much on the line and a series of electrifying matches, tonight's event promises to be one for the ages.