5 Things WWE subtly told us on the penultimate episode of SmackDown before Survivor Series: WarGames

The recent episode of WWE SmackDown was the penultimate episode of the blue brand show before Survivor Series: WarGames 2025. The show concluded with AJ Lee and Becky Lynch making their presence felt and getting incorporated into the Women's WarGames bout.

Besides this, the show featured Cody Rhodes, Finn Balor, Team Vision, and more. In this article, we will discuss five things WWE subtly told us on SmackDown this week.

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#5. Tama Tonga and Tommaso Ciampa next in line for US Title shot

Ilja Dragunov delivered a banger performance against JD McDonagh and defeated him to retain his United States Championship. However, the Mad Dragon is still under great threat, as he was engaged in backstage segments with Tama Tonga and Tommaso Ciampa.

Over the past few weeks, WWE has been hinting at Ciampa and Tonga as the next potential contenders for the mid-card Championship. The recent tease on SmackDown appeared to be a subtle confirmation of Ilja's upcoming matches.

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#4. WWE is high on Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo Hayes advanced to the next round of John Cena's Last Time is Now Tournament. The former NXT Champion defeated Bronson Reed on SmackDown and has now entered the quarterfinals.

Since the inclusion of Reed in The Vision, he has been heavily pushed by the Triple H-led creative team. Even Reed defeated Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel this year. So, a victory over The Vision member is a hint that The Game is high on Melo and seemingly has plans to push him further on the main roster.

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#3. Giulia vs Chelsea Green rematch is in the works

Giulia engaged in a heated backstage conversation with Chelsea Green and her Secret Hervice member. During this, the former US Women's Champion made it clear that she would take revenge on Green and her faction.

This segment confirmed that after suffering a crushing loss, WWE might have plans to book Giulia vs. Green in a rematch in the coming weeks.

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#2. WWE is holding off the AJ Lee vs Becky Lynch match for next year

AJ Lee and Becky Lynch officially joined the Women's WarGames match. The former Divas Champion was disclosed as the final member of Team Rhea Ripley, but soon Team Nia Jax attacked them along with Becky Lynch.

In the end, the villainous team stood tall, and the company confirmed Lee and Lynch's inclusion in the WarGames match. With this announcement, it has been subtly confirmed that WWE is holding off a singles feud between both stars for next year, as they are currently engaged in the Women's WarGames bout.

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#1. Logan Paul could be an official member of The Vision, unlike Drew McIntyre and Brock Lesnar

Team Vision surely includes Drew McIntyre, Brock Lesnar, and Logan Paul, but it seems that The Maverick would stick with the faction even after WarGames. The YouTuber was seen more involved with the Paul Heyman alliance and even helped Bronson Reed on SmackDown during his match against Carmelo Hayes.

This showed that he might stick with the faction after Survivor Series and soon be established as an official member of the group.

Edited by Sanchari Bhattacharya