More shifts await the WWE SmackDown landscape as new gladiators step into the arena and fresh storylines kick off.
Dolph Ziggler now has Dean Ambrose and the WWE World Championship in his sights after a huge win on July 26. The Showoff suddenly finds himself on center stage, looking to prove he's a top-tier star.
Former NXT tag team champs Chad Gable and Jason Jordan, known collectively as American Alpha, will make their SmackDown debut. The show's women's division has to sort out who sits where. And WWE has to further the momentum for Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar, with or without The Beast Incarnate around.
Social media, backstage reports and the SmackDown preview on WWE.com help fans look ahead to what the show will offer. Nashville, Tennessee, will play host as SmackDown hits the airwaves on the USA Network on Tuesday, 8 p.m. ET.
News, Potential Spoilers
The Usos are no safe bet to compete on SmackDown.
F4WOnline.com reported, "Jimmy Uso has a minor, undisclosed injury, which is why Zack Ryder has been on the road teaming with Jey Uso against Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. They were hopeful he would get cleared in time for television on Tuesday."
WWE has no reason to rush Jimmy's progress, as The Usos aren't involved in any current storylines.
Plus, the SmackDown roster may increase by one on Tuesday. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported, "The former (and possibly future) Curt Hawkins, Brian Myers, will be returning to the SmackDown brand shortly."
Myers is a former tag team champion who left the company two years ago. He previously partnered with Ryder.
Jinder Mahal returned to Raw on Monday; perhaps Myers will hop aboard the blue brand a night later.
The women's division may be getting a new addition, as well. Lisa Marie Varon, who wrestled as Victoria for WWE, teased an appearance on SmackDown:
It's hard to imagine WWE trying to reintroduce Varon and Myers on the same night, though.
Fans can, however, count on appearances from SmackDown's authority figures. As James Caldwell of PWTorch noted, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan are among those advertised for Tuesday's show.
SmackDown Streaks
Ziggler's surprise victory last week extended a winning streak on his home show.
Outlasting five other Superstars, Ziggler earned the right to face Ambrose for the world title at SummerSlam. That makes seven SmackDown wins in a row, per CageMatch.net.
The Showoff hasn't lost on the blue brand since February, when The League of Nations was still a thing. WWE will be smart to keep this going, as it needs to sell the audience on him as a credible threat to Ambrose.
The Ascension continued a stretch of its own.
Falling in last week's Battle Royal marked the 10th SmackDown defeat in a row for Viktor and Konnor, as seen on CageMatch.net. The brand split hasn't yet changed their fortunes, as they still sit at the bottom of the pile.
Championship Chases, Growing Rivalries
It's time for high-energy mat wrestling and the introduction of two Superstars in singlets: American Alpha will make its SmackDown debut on Tuesday night.
Jordan and Gable will be valuable additions to the brand's tag team division. They are fresh off tearing the roof off the place time and again for NXT.
Will they be fighting for gold eventually? Raw currently has the tag titles on its show, but WWE.com hinted at SmackDown getting its own set of straps.
The SmackDown preview asked, "Will SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon and GM Daniel Bryan decide to create a brand tag team championship?"
Fans have wondered if SmackDown's women's division would follow the same path, but there hasn't been any word on that. Instead, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Natalya and others may have to settle for battling with pride on the line.
The division's hierarchy looks to be in flux with so many new faces now a part of the fun. Expect that to sort itself out a bit on Tuesday. The SmackDown preview asked, "Which Superstar will ultimately establish herself as the premier female competitor when all is said and done?
John Cena and AJ Styles are clashing sans title, too.
After each man failed to win last Tuesday's Six-Pack Challenge, they are now free to continue their ongoing rivalry. They are expected to meet again at SummerSlam; look for WWE to start building toward that.
The Phenomenal One is without cronies Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, so the dynamic of this rivalry has to change; no more triple-teaming the babyface.
SmackDown will also hype the SummerSlam showdown between Randy Orton and Brock Lesnar. And being on separate brands clearly won't prevent those two from fighting early on.
Orton slid over to Raw for a night, attacking Lesnar on Monday. Is The Viper set to suffer payback?
The SmackDown preview hinted at that when it asked, "If The Beast does threaten vengeance on Tuesday night, how will Shane and Bryan ever be able to stop his aggression?"
Ambrose vs. Ziggler promises to get plenty intense, no special guests will be needed. The Showoff, now the No. 1 contender for the WWE World Championship, will likely trade barbs with Ambrose.
At the moment, both men are babyfaces. Tuesday night will provide an indication if that will shift as the story progresses. Ziggler could make a compelling character change by embracing his dark side.
WWE threw a curveball by selecting Ziggler for this spot. It's time to see how effective that pitch will be.