‘WWE SmackDown LIVE’ Preview: 3 Title Matches And John Cena’s Return Booked For ‘Wild Card Finals’
With Brock Lesnar and Goldberg from Monday Night Raw already announced as part of the main event for WWE Royal Rumble 2017, could John Cena be making his return to SmackDown LIVE as part of the “Wild Card Finals” to announce his own entry into the biggest battle royal of the year? As the blue brand prepares for the PPV that kicks off the “Road to WrestleMania 33,” AJ Styles will defend the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin. Alexa Bliss will defend the SmackDown Women’s Championship against former champ Alexa Bliss, while The Wyatt Family defends the SmackDown Tag Team Championship in a Four Corners Elimination Match.
The Phenomenal One actually made his WWE debut at Royal Rumble 2016. Assuming that Styles can get past Ziggler and Corbin, his WWE career will have come full circle in just one year. By entering the Royal Rumble Match, Styles was hoping to earn a spot in the main event of WrestleMania, competing for the WWE Championship. At this year’s Royal Rumble, he will likely be defending that very same belt.
Having been gone since he last failed to capture the WWE Championship from AJ Styles, what will John Cena’s focus be upon his return to in-ring action? Will he continue to chase after his 16th world title by challenging Styles or entering the Royal Rumble Match? Will he have anything to say about Carmella’s comments that Nikki Bella has been using Cena? If John gets dragged into the Carmella/Bella feud, who will be the man at the side of the Staten Island Princess? Will her interaction with James Ellsworth from last week’s SmackDown LIVE play into all of this in some way?
With three titles up for grabs on SmackDown LIVE, will there be any new champions crowned on Tuesday night? The Usos, American Alpha and Heather Slater & Rhyno will challenge two members of The Wyatt Family in a Four Corners Elimination Match. Will it be Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt defending the straps, or will Luke Harper be participating? And as Alexa Bliss defends her title against Becky Lynch, will she find another devious way to escape with the gold?
Immediately following SmackDown LIVE will be another episode of 205 Live on the WWE Network. The big story in the Cruiserweight Division has been Neville’s heel turn and his self-proclamation as “King of the Cruiserweights.” After teaming with The Brian Kendrick to defeat Rich Swann and TJ Perkins last week, what will Neville have in store for the division on 205 Live this week?
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Updated WWE Royal Rumble 2017 Card
- Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and 28 others TBD — Royal Rumble Match
- AJ Styles (c) vs. TBD — WWE Championship Match (unconfirmed)
- Alexa Bliss (c) vs. TBD — SmackDown Women’s Championship Match (unconfirmed)
- Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns — WWE Universal Championship Shark Cage Match
- Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley — Raw Women’s Championship Match (unconfirmed)
As of Monday morning, only two matches had been confirmed for WWE Royal Rumble 2017. The next WWE PPV will feature stars from both WWE Raw and SmackDown LIVE. Royal Rumble 2017 will air live on Sunday, January 29, from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. As more information is confirmed, it will be updated at WWE’s official Royal Rumble preview page.
Where To Watch WWE
The WWE Royal Rumble 2017 will air live on the WWE Network on Sunday, January 29, at 8/7c. The Royal Rumble Kickoff Show will begin at 7/6c.
The show 205 Live, featuring the best of WWE’s Cruiserweight Division, airs weekly on the WWE Network at 10/9c on Tuesday nights. Replays of the show are available to stream immediately.
WWE SmackDown LIVE airs Tuesdays on the USA Network at 8/7c. Replays of WWE SmackDown aren’t made available on the WWE Network until several weeks after the original air date. However, a replay of SmackDown LIVE is available to stream on-demand Wednesdays via Hulu. WWE Talking Smack begins at 10:45/9:45c on the WWE Network and is immediately made available to stream on-demand.
[Featured Image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images]
