Official “Smackdown Live” Preview – January 9, 2018

The battle continues. Over the last few weeks, the biggest story on “Smackdown Live” has been the battle between General Manager Daniel Bryan and Commissioner Shane McMahon. Last week say Bryan grant Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn a handicap match for the World Title at the “2018 Royal Rumble”. So what do we have to expect this week?

WWE.com has released its official preview for this week’s “Smackdown Live” with the five major stories that are being promoted for tonight’s episode. The big story is the fallout from Styles being put into the handicap match for the title and the likelihood of more drama between McMahon and Bryan. Here are the stories:

How will AJ Styles react to his Handicap Match at WWE Royal Rumble?

WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn: SmackDown LIVE, Jan. 2, 2018

Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley clash in final U.S. Title Tournament First Round Match

Mojo Rawley brings the fight to former ally Zack Ryder: WWE Clash of Champions 2017 Kickoff Match

Becky Lynch returns to action against Ruby Riott

Charlotte Flair, Naomi & Becky Lynch vs. Natalya, Lana & Tamina: SmackDown LIVE, Oct. 17, 2017

Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable demand justice

The Usos vs. Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin: SmackDown LIVE, Dec. 19, 2017

The Ascension battle The Bludgeon Brothers

The Ascension challenge The Bludgeon Brothers for Breezango: SmackDown LIVE, Dec. 26, 2017

Opinion: I’m not exactly thrilled with the direction of McMahon vs. Bryan but the rest looks more than solid. The build to the Royal Rumble is almost always worth a look and hopefully things continue on the steady path. There’s no reason to expect them to screw it up as it’s one of the easier things to do, though more surprising things can happen.

What are you looking forward to most on tonight’s show? Who do you expect to see entered into the Royal Rumble? Let us know in the comments below.