Report: WWE SmackDown World Cup participants revealed
Update —
The World Cup participants were officially announced on SmackDown tonight, with Mustafa Ali in the tournament instead of Rey Mysterio.
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The participants for WWE’s SmackDown World Cup tournament appear to have been revealed.
PWInsider reports that the World Cup tournament is planned to feature Braun Strowman, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sami Zayn, Santos Escobar, Rey Mysterio, Jinder Mahal, Butch, and Ricochet. The winner of the tournament will receive a shot at Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship.
The tournament is kicking off on tonight’s SmackDown. A first-round match between Nakamura and Escobar is set for the episode.
The timing of the tournament coincides with the 2022 men’s World Cup of soccer, which will begin airing on Fox and FS1 this month.
Tonight’s SmackDown is being held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Here’s what’s been announced for the show:
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos defend against The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
- Number one contender’s six-pack challenge: Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shotzi vs. Sonya Deville vs. Lacey Evans vs. Xia Li
- SmackDown World Cup first-round match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Santos Escobar