SmackDown Preview – The Return of Luke Harper

Sunday night brought us No Mercy, and SmackDown’s second pay-per-view didn’t disappoint. Mostly. Despite a bizarrely-paced show, the blue brand put on some excellent matches with great storytelling, and the consequences of those in-ring stories will be felt tonight.

No Mercy brought us a new Intercontinental Champion, a World Champion able to defend against all comers, and the return of a sorely-missed henchman. One big match is already booked, as well as the first in-ring action for a new competitor. What other stories will come into play tonight?

We’re nearly two months away from Survivor Series, which means a half-dozen more episodes of SmackDown before a pay-per-view–one whose card will be split between Raw and the blue brand. SmackDown’s been on fire since the brand split, so it’ll be interesting to see how well they carry things when there’s so long to go before an opportunity for big pay-offs.

Tonight’s episode of SmackDown broadcasts from the SAP Center in San Jose, at 8 PM Easter/7PM Central on the USA Network.

Randy Orton and Kane team up to take on Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper

Something about a tag team match involving Kane gives me nightmare flashbacks to the worst parts of the Authority story, but he’s been involved on the sidelines of the Orton/Wyatt feud enough that I can’t really argue with it. The big story in this match is the return of Luke Harper, who was sidelined earlier this year by a leg injury. Harper was always the best Wyatt Family member in-ring, and it’ll be interesting to see how his presence affects the ongoing battle between Bray and Randy.

Who challenges AJ Styles next?

AJ Styles no only now holds singles victories over John Cena and Dean Ambrose, at No Mercy he survived both of them at once. Will either of those men try to make the case for a rematch? All the other top-tier competitors seem to be tied-up in other battles at the moment, so AJ’s list of challengers is currently limited.

A career is saved, but how long can Dolph Ziggler remain champion?

Dolph Ziggler and the Miz built an incredible, high-stakes story going into No Mercy, and their match absolutely delivered. You might even say it deserved the main event. The A-Lister will certainly demand a rematch for the title, but given his own feud with GM Daniel Bryan, he might have to fight for that opportunity. Who else will want to contend?

Will Alexa Bliss be able to hold onto her #1 contendership?

Becky Lynch was hospitalized just ahead of her scheduled title defense at No Mercy. The challenger, Alexa Bliss, was promised her title opportunity on November 8 at SmackDown in Glasgow, Scotland. However, Alexa suffered a loss to Naomi at No Mercy, who will almost certainly be pushing for her own glowing entrance into the title picture. Will Alexa hang on to her one-on-one match for the Women’s Championship? Or can Naomi prove her way into a triple threat?

FACT: Curt Hawkins debuts tonight

Curt Hawkins made his in-ring debut as promised at No Mercy, and now he’ll make his in-action debut on SmackDown. I already hate Hawkins, and I’m looking forward to finding out whether that’s because he’s a great heel or if this whole Chuck Norris thing was a terrible idea.