What Will Happen On SmackDown Tonight !!!

By the time SmackDown LIVE concludes, there will have been over 10 hours of WWE programming in the last three days. It’s been somewhat of a tumultuous time for the promotion with seeminglymore interesting things happening outside of the ring than in it.

Brooklyn seemed more “burned out” than “burning” when RAW was over, so perhaps this show will benefit from being in front of some fresh faces at the Mohegan Sun Arena. It was virtually all decisive finishes at SummerSlam for the Blue Brand. Thus priority number one is setting some new storylines in motion for Backlash, the first SmackDown only pay per view. That show takes place in less than three weeks.

Here are five things to look for on tonight’s show:

1. Backlash Main Event

Given the way Dean Ambrose beat Dolph Ziggler at SummerSlam, I gather that program is over. So a new #1 contender must be established. The logical and obvious choice is AJ Styles, who is fresh off disposing of John Cena. Quite frankly, Styles is not just the top performer on the brand, but in the entire company. Assuming he is the choice (seriously, who else could it be?), it will be interesting to see the setup.

2. See ya, Cena?

John Cena is going to film a new season of American Grit. Maybe you don’t like him. But “The Face Who Runs The Place” will be missed on Tuesdays, mark my words. The man just had another great match Sunday (I gave it 4.5 stars) in what was the clear highlight of SummerSlam. Will he even appear tonight? What will be the storyline explanation for the next absence? Getting answers to those questions is yet another reason to watch.

3. Shane vs. Brock

Post-SummerSlam, this looks like the direction. Brock Lesnar, drafted by RAW, would again be feuding with someone from SmackDown. Because of Brock’s schedule, it’s a program that probably lingers for awhile. Unless Shane takes tonight off to sell the F-5, he’ll be addressing what happened at SummerSlam. Personally, I feel for GM Daniel Bryan, who publicly stated that Lesnar would have been his dream opponent had his career been allowed to continue. Having to watch Shane get that role has to eat him up inside, at least a little bit.

4. Randy Orton’s Head and Direction

Last we saw Orton, he wasn’t looking too well. Nor was his career. When I projected him as Lesnar’s most likely SummerSlam opponent, it was due to him being one of the few on the roster that could take that loss and survive. I can’t say I would have beaten him that decisively though. Last week on SmackDown, a little tension was teased between Orton and Bray Wyatt. The latter was conspicuous by his absence Sunday. Personally, I would have had him interfere in the Lesnar match, perhaps leading to a similar finish. At least then, Orton would have some heat coming off the loss. Regardless, an Orton-Wyatt pairing seems likely.

5. Tag Team and Women’s Championships

Over on RAW, the Universal Title is off to an auspicious start. Let’s hope that SmackDown’s new titles get a better fate.

With the women’s division, my Red Queen is gone for the next four shows and I am nauseous. The fact creative saw fit to at least acknowledge her storyline at SummerSlam at least tells me all hope is not lost! In the interim, Nikki Bella is coming in and which side of the face/heel dynamic she moves to is the next key move. Becky Lynch would be the only other option as the first champion.

Over in the tag division, it’s clear that the top spot goes to either American Alpha or The Usos. A much-needed heel turn seems likely for The Usos. Personally, I’d have them turn in the match to decide the initial champions and then have Alpha chase. I think there’s an old Rougeau Brothers-Killer Bees match from 1988 that they could rip off.

Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself with these title scenarios. But there’s only one way to find out. I’ll be back with my SmackDown LIVE review Tuesday night.