SmackDown Live comes to us from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Arizona, and understandably, all the spotlight will be focussed on the impending return of one John Cena.
Follow our Live coverage of SmackDown right here on Sportskeeda.
The last we saw of the Face that Runs the Place was at WrestleMania 33, on his knees and proposing to lady love Nikki Bella. A lot has changed on the Blue Brand since, but as ever, the sight of Mr. Hustle, Loyalty and Respect flying down the ramp and sliding into the ring will be a welcome one.
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The sight of the Money in the Bank briefcase in Carmella’s hand with a gloating James Ellsworth by her side, however, won’t be as well received. Especially since the Princess of Staten Island isn’t afraid to rub her success in everyone’s face.
And talking about faces, how will The Usos and The New Day fare when they face off and cross (s)words in a rap battle this week? The New Day are record breaking Tag Champions... but that was on Raw. And The Usos will be keen to let them know that on the Blue Brand, they rule the roost.
Combing through all these points and more, here is our preview of this week’s episode of SmackDown Live!
A Face-lift for America?
AJ Styles has been itching for an opportunity to face Kevin Owens and dethrone him as the Face of America.
Conniving as ever, Owens has been skirting the challenge manfully... only for recently returned SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan to announce an Independence Day gauntlet match, also featuring Styles, to determine a number one contender for the US Title.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Owens has nowhere to run now and must deal with the very real possibility that the best wrestler in the world will be standing opposite him in the ring, very soon.
A New Day, yes it is!
Fresh off a title defence against the Hype Bros, The Usos must be brimming with new found confidence as the SmackDown Live Tag Team Champions. But when they go up against the Power of Positivity in a rap battle this week, they would need much more than just confidence to hang.
Indeed, bearing in mind that it was the Champions that invited the contest, one gets the feeling that The Usos do have a trick up their sleeve.
Against the freewheeling trio of The New Day, however, they have to be on their A-game. This rap battle may be in a lighter vein, but come Battleground, the record-breaking former Champions will be looking to do their utmost to relieve the twins of the Tag straps.
Will The Usos be ready?
The Lucky Russian
After complaining that her shoulders weren’t grounded when Naomi pinned her last week, Lana has managed to sneak in another shot at the SmackDown Live Women’s Champion while the rest of the division hangs around in limbo.
Will it be third time lucky for the Ravishing Russian? Or as Naomi has already proven – twice – is she just a class above Lana?
The Welcoming Committee was only formed because it seemed that Charlotte Flair would cut the queue and be moved straight into the Title picture upon her arrival on SmackDown Live... so how will the women react now that Lana has been offered her 3rd shot at it in as many weeks?
One can almost sense the dissent brewing.
Hindering the Jinder
Jinder Mahal’s WWE Title reign has gone off without a hitch so far.
He won the Title at Backlash – with the help of the Singh Brothers – and defended it at Money In The Bank... again, with the pesky duo providing the necessary distraction for him to capitalise on.
Emboldened, he challenged Randy Orton to a Punjabi Prison match at Battleground... but in his new-found zeal as Champion, has Mahal overlooked the fact that he wouldn’t have his sidekicks to help him out inside the demonic structure?
His best shot then, would be to injure or maim Orton as best he can while he still has the numbers advantage on his side...which brings me to this week’s episode of SmackDown Live!
Will Champion (and his cronies) cross paths with the challenger before Battleground? If they do, who will come up trumps?
John Cena returns!
As an added bonus on Independence Day, folks in the USA will be able to enjoy the return of their favourite WWE son to SmackDown Live.
The prospect of John Cena’s return, one suspects, won’t be as pleasing for the remainder of the roster, however.
The mice always come out to play when the cat goes away and SmackDown Live’s complexion has undergone quite the makeover during the period John Cena has been away filming for his various pursuits in Hollywood.
But now that he is back, will things go back to status quo – with him at the helm – or will the likes of Baron Corbin, Shinsuke Nakamura or even Dolph Ziggler be unwilling to give up the spotlight that they’ve so enjoyed in his absence?
More importantly though, what will John Cena have to say when he finally returns home to SmackDown Live?
