Two New Matches Announced For Next Week's WWE SmackDown

Following the events of the September 16th episode of "WWE SmackDown" on FOX, two upcoming matches have been announced for the blue brand's next event, according to WWE's official Twitter account.

First, Braun Stroman is set to make his official in-ring return against Alpha Academy's Otis in singles action. This will be Strowman's first match in a WWE ring since "WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2021," where he unsuccessfully challenged Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. The triple Threat match saw Strowman take the loss to Lashley ahead of his subsequent release from the company. Since returning, Strowman has targeted tag teams, with Alpha Academy becoming a primary target for the "Monster Among Men."

Elsewhere on the card, The Usos will defend their Unified WWE Tag Team Championships against the Brawling Brutes. The duo of Butch and Ridge Holland gained their first shot at the gold as a team by winning a Fatal Four-Way tag team match to determine the next #1 contender. The bout saw them defeat New Day, Hit Row, and Imperium.

The Usos haven't defended their tag team championships in quite some time, with their last defense taking place on the episode of "WWE Raw" that aired on August 1. Since then, Jimmy and Jey have been focusing not only on their "Tribal Chief" and his endeavors as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion but also on the recent main roster debut of their younger brother, Solo Sikoa. While their attention has been in many different places as members of The Bloodline, the record-breaking tag team champions will now have to focus solely on their first-time challengers.