Sami Zayn defends the WWE title against Trick Williams on SmackDown

Sami Zayn defends the Undisputed WWE Championship against Trick Williams on Friday's SmackDown, four days after he barely held on to the title on Raw. WWE.com lists the match for "Danhausen's Very Nice, Very Evil SmackDown," at 8 p.m. ET on USA. Chelsea Green also defends the WWE Women's Championship against Hall of Famer Nikki Bella on the same show, and Fightful lists both title matches on the card.

Zayn keeps getting tested

Zayn's week started with an impromptu title defense against Je'Von Evans on Monday's Raw, which he won. World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns has suggested Zayn won't make it to WWE Crown Jewel with the title, and Zayn answered on Raw by demanding to finally be "acknowledged" by the fans and the locker room.

Williams earned this shot on last Friday's SmackDown, where he and Penta made it clear to Zayn they were waiting for him. That night Williams teamed with Rey Fenix against Zayn and Johnny Gargano, and the title match was set for this week.

This is the problem with being the champion everyone is chasing. Zayn has now had to defend on back-to-back shows, and Reigns is circling. A loss here would answer the Reigns question before Crown Jewel arrives.

Green's toughest defense yet

Green has already turned back Nia Jax and Roxanne Perez, and WWE is selling her as a fighting champion. Bella has spent the buildup calling Green a "bootleg Nikki Bella," and she arrives with far more history than Green's earlier challengers. The winner goes on to face Women's World Champion Liv Morgan at Crown Jewel, so this match sets that card.

Bella's name value makes this the biggest defense of Green's reign. A win over a Hall of Famer would do more for her than any of her earlier defenses.

What to watch next

Watch for Reigns. If Zayn retains, the next move toward Crown Jewel probably comes from the World Heavyweight Champion. If Williams wins, SmackDown has a new top champion heading into the premium live event, and the Reigns storyline has to change with him. Results from both title matches will set the Crown Jewel picture for each brand.