WWE SmackDown Live Preview: December 26, 2017

The road to Royal Rumble is well and truly heating up! The events that transpired on this week's Monday Night Raw gave us the clear idea that WWE means business in the new year. The return of John Cena and the crowning of new tag team champions have set things up perfectly down on the red side.

The focus now shifts on their counterparts on the blue brand, who have set up a host of intriguing storylines heading into the first major PPV of 2018. Who will face AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at the marquee event? Will Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan's volatile relationship come to head in the coming weeks?

That and many other burning questions need pertinent answers as the final SmackDown episode of the year comes our way.

So here are the five biggest talking points heading into this week's show::

---

#1 Royal Rumble announcements

1 down, 29 to go....

John Cena hasn't yet announced his entry to the Royal Rumble, but any educated fan would have seen this coming from a mile away and as things stand, the Cenation leader is the favourite to win his third Royal Rumble match.

Elias is the only name confirmed for the high-stakes match and expect more to be announced on SmackDown. So who would it be? The usual suspects include Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Jinder Mahal and Kevin Owens, that is if neither one of them is granted a lucrative WWE title shot.

The slots of the Women's Royal Rumble match is also shrouded in ambiguity as Naomi is the only star to have booked a place in the historic bout. Who will join the glowing former Women's Champion in a bid to create history in Philadelphia next month? Could we see a big return or two to spice things up.

#2 The United States title conundrum

No more showing off?

Is Dolph Ziggler done with WWE? Is he done with in-ring competition altogether? What happens to the United States Championship in his absence?

The US title storyline has that air of unpredictability and realism to it and WWE, for all the brickbats they get, deserve to be applauded in this case. It's too soon to get excited though, as WWE has a history of wrecking up a good angle.

The dirt sheets have revealed that Ziggler will be kept off TV for the coming weeks in vein with the current story. We sense a CM Punk-like situation brewing here wherein WWE may crown a new champion only to see the Show-Off return to claim he is the real holder of the title.

Whatever may be the case, Shane McMahon and co. should give the WWE Universe some clarity over the situation tonight.

#3 The cold war continues

The payoff better be good.

While Raw may have the big name superstars and one Beast of a champion, SmackDown has the real trump card and that is the in-ring return of Daniel Bryan.

The friction between Shane Mcmahon and the Smackdown live General Manager has gradually increased with each passing week and it all came to head at Clash of Champions when both the authority figures dawned the black and whites.

Things seemed to have cooled down after last week's confrontation but with Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn's Yep Movement growing in popularity, the volatility of the scenario can't be undermined.

The rebellious Canadians are bound to continue with their shenanigans and the relationship between the top brass will surely bear the brunt. Will Shane O'Mac and Bryan be able to be to be on the same page and most importantly, will the former WWE Champion finally come out of retirement?

#4 Who will step up to the Usos?

What's Christmas? It's Rusev Day!

Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable picked up a big win over the Usos last week in a non-title bout which accentuated their stock in the stacked SmackDown tag team division. WWE ought to give Gable and Benjamin another shot at conquering the Uso penitentiary and it could all be set in stone for the Rumble with an official announcement tonight.

But can WWE turn a blind eye to Rusev Day's rousing popularity? We have no qualms with Rusev and Aiden English being kept busy in a refreshingly entertaining programme with the New Day if it means they would eventually win the straps at WrestleMania 34.

That would be the ideal booking decision. But will WWE strike whilst the iron is hot?

#5 AJ Styles' Royal Rumble challenger

Does a dream match beckon the WWE Champion?

It's impervious to say that SmackDown Live needs a worthy WWE title match to counter the triple threat showdown for the Universal title between a Beast, a Monster and a Demon.

AJ Styles did the WWE Universe a big favour and ended the lengthy and fruitful push of Jinder Mahal. But what's next for the Phenomenal One?

Thankfully, there's no dearth of opponents for the champ. From a frustrated Viper to a criminally underused Artist; WWE has two potential dream matches in the making.

The fractious duo of KO and Zayn would also surely stake a claim for the titles in the wake of their career-saving win. Knowing WWE's infamous booking pattern, a fatal-X way or Battle Royal match to determine the new #1 contender should be on the cards.

But who would you like to see go up against AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble? Sound off in the comments section below.

---

Send us news tips at [email protected]