SmackDown Preview: One Top Star Will Not Be There

Now that SmackDown has gone live on Tuesday nights, we also get a very special post-WrestleMania edition of the blue brand. So what’s on deck for tonight?

Well, one thing that apparently won’t be addressed tonight is John Cena and Nikki Bella. Cena is not advertised for tonight’s show, and it seems that this will be the first of several months off for the newly engaged couple.

As for the rest of the show, it looks like we’ll largely be addressing WrestleMania fallout. AJ Styles established dominance over the SmackDown commissioner, Randy Orton conquered Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship, Naomi claimed the SmackDown Women’s Championship, and Dean Ambrose managed to hang onto the IC Title. Every one of those names will need new challengers–or at least a rematch–so we’ll find out the direction for each tonight.

Of course, it’ll be tough for anybody to get too comfortable with the “Superstar Shakeup” next week. It doesn’t seem to be a full draft, but the impending trades and deals will have a big effect on the landscape of both Raw and SmackDown.

But we’re expecting the roster changes to start tonight with a number of NXT call-ups. WWE’s official preview suggests some big new debuts, and a recent report suggests at least three new stars set to make their debut this week. Whether that plan has changed remains to be seen, but it would be shocking if at least one of those names didn’t make it to TV tonight.