SmackDown LIVE preview, Feb. 6, 2018:

Zayn and Owens clash for WWE Title opportunity at WWE Fastlane
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn’s “Yep!” Movement began to show cracks after last Tuesday, when Daniel
Bryan revealed that they would face each other this week in a match to determine WWE Champion AJ Styles’
next challenger at WWE Fastlane. The tension between the two best friends boiled over in their Tag
Team Match against Styles & Shinsuke Nakamura, leading to Zayn walking out on KO. What will happen
when these two clash in a high-stakes battle? Find out on SmackDown LIVE.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to battle for a WWE Title opportunity at WWE Fastlane

SmackDown LIVE ended with fractures beginning to show in the friendship between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
Tonight, the two best friends will get a chance to take out their frustrations on each other when they
battle for the right to challenge WWE Champion AJ Styles at WWE Fastlane.
The “Yep!” Movement began to tear apart at the seams during a tag team battle pitting Owens & Zayn against
Styles & Shinsuke Nakamura. Following their loss to The Phenomenal One at the Royal Rumble event, the two
were clearly not on the same page, bickering throughout the bout. After Styles sent Owens crashing into
his friend, a fed-up Zayn walked out on the match, leaving KO to fend for himself against the WWE Champion
and WWE’s Rockstar, and the bout ended with Owens falling to Nakamura’s devastating Kinshasa knee strike.
After the match, Renee Young approached Zayn in the backstage area and asked him if this was the end of he
and Owens’ friendship. Zayn said that it wasn’t, but that this was his time to shine. He declared that after
next week, he won’t be known as simply “Kevin Owens’ best friend;” he’ll be known as the guy who beat
Kevin Owens and became WWE Champion at WWE Fastlane.

Bobby Roode defends the United States Championship against Rusev

After winning a Fatal 4-Way Match, Rusev has earned the right to challenge United States Champion Bobby Roode
tonight on SmackDown LIVE.
The Bulgarian Brute bested Kofi Kingston, Zack Ryder and Jinder Mahal in an action-packed Fatal 4-Way Match
last Tuesday to earn the opportunity to face The Glorious One, then immediately rolled out of the ring to
stare down Roode, who was at the announce table.
In a video later that night, Rusev declared that their championship showdown would be Roode’s swan song with
the star-spangled title. The champion responded by declaring that even though their showdown may fall on Rusev
Day, the outcome of the battle will be nothing short of … GLORIOUS!

Daniel Bryan to reveal the first-ever SmackDown LIVE Top 10 Superstars List

Last week, Daniel Bryan announced that voting was open to Team Blue’s Superstars for the first-ever SmackDown
LIVE Top 10 Superstars List. SmackDown LIVE’s General Manager will reveal the initial rankings tonight on USA
Network, giving the roster an idea of where they stand among their peers.
Criteria that SmackDown Superstars needed to consider when voting included locker room leadership, athletic
skill and overall talent. No Superstars were allowed to vote for themselves, and neither Bryan nor Commissioner
Shane McMahon cast a vote in the rankings.

Charlotte Flair looks for payback against Riott Squad’s Liv Morgan

Last Tuesday on SmackDown LIVE, The Riott Squad ganged up on SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair,
subjecting The Queen to a 3-on-1 beatdown that left her vulnerable to an attempted cash-in by Ms. Money in the Bank,
Carmella.
Though The Princess of Staten Island didn’t succeed in cashing in and taking the title (though she still has the
guaranteed title opportunity), while Flair is on the hunt for retribution on The Riott Squad. Her quest for
payback begins tonight, when she faces Liv Morgan.