Crammed in between Payback and Elimination Chamber, the WWE SmackDown on May 21 will serve as both a follow-up and preparation.
Payback's reverberations will get some airtime, but Elimination Chamber is on its way in just a matter of days. WWE's warriors need to have their sights set on a new set of battles ahead.
Elimination Chamber will offer a chance for change in the tag team division, for R-Truth to take home gold and for Dean Ambrose to take down a man he despises.
Of course, the steps WWE will take toward those matches on Thursday's SmackDown already happened. Norfolk, Virginia, hosted all the action on Tuesday night. The taped show won't air until Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on Syfy.
The following preview offers a look at all the clashes on tap, minus spoiled results.
The Ascension vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd
Minus the steel structure, this serves as a preview for the tag team title Elimination Chamber match set for May 31. It pits four of the six teams involved in that bout against each other early.
That's a chance for WWE to spotlight the squads that haven't been around much of late. Los Matadores and The Lucha Dragons, for example, look for momentum after not being on TV often recently. The Ascension can add a big win here to go with their victory on the Payback pre-show.
Who gets the majority of the ring time in this battle, as well as the win, points to which duo will be among the favorites inside the Elimination Chamber.
Dolph Ziggler vs. King Barrett
While always a good matchup, Barrett vs. Ziggler has minimal spark at this point. WWE has paired these two against each other ad nauseam.
They don't have much in the way of personal issues between them either. Barrett has been focused on Neville lately, most recently pouncing on the injured rookie for a win on Monday's Raw. With Neville colliding with Bo Dallas that night, is the newly crowned king moving onto another rivalry?
Should Neville get involved here or he is brought up by the announcers often, that will point to the answer being no.
Ziggler, on the other hand, still has issues with Sheamus, but also hasRusev hunting him down. The Showoff kissed Lana on Monday's Raw, an act that maddened Rusev to no end. Whether Lana accompaniesZiggler or Rusev gets involved will be key things to watch out for.
Stardust vs. R-Truth
In what may be the most underwhelming rivalry of the year, Stardust and R-Truth have butted heads for weeks.
This bout is another in a long series of under-the-radar contests. The previous meetings haven't been anything special, partly because of so-so chemistry and a lack of additions from the WWE writing team. Other than Stardust pulling out toy spiders from a bag, nothing of note has happened between them.
Can Stardust catch a break here after a recent loss-heavy stretch? Or will R-Truth gain momentum heading into the Elimination Chamber match for the Intercontinental Championship?
Damien Sandow and Curtis Axel vs. Adam Rose and Heath Slater
The Meta Powers were clearly not just a one-night alliance. Sandowand Axel bring their imitation gimmicks to Thursday's SmackDown, looking to bounce back from a loss at Payback.
How much their act evolves and how committed WWE is to making them part of the tag team division are keys to keep an eye on.
Where Rose is headed is also a source of intrigue. Last week, he rid himself of the Rosebuds in what felt like the precursor to a shift in his character. Whether we are set to see a darker version of the party animal is uncertain. The same goes for whether WWE is actually going to do something with him.
This bout will offer hints of what to expect in the future for both Rose and the Sandow-Axel pairing.
Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose
A rematch of Monday Night Raw's best match wraps up Thursday'sSmackDown.
Placing these two brawlers in this spot will have fans curious about what's to come. Are Wyatt and Ambrose headed for another feud? Is this designed to catapult Ambrose as he heads into his WWE title match with Seth Rollins?
The one thing fans can count on is intensity. Both men brought in surplus on Monday night, as well as in their respective clashes at Payback. With Wyatt and Ambrose both on a roll in terms of ring work and their chemistry being so strong, the chances of them outdoing their work from Monday night is high
Ambrose will have to keep an eye open for Rollins and his crew. As for Wyatt, it appears his short feud with Ryback is over. He may now force his way into the world title picture, especially if he knocks off the No. 1 contender for the second time in a row.
Ambrose will have to keep an eye open for Rollins and his crew. As for Wyatt, it appears his short feud with Ryback is over. He may now force his way into the world title picture, especially if he knocks off the No. 1 contender for the second time in a row.
Wyatt's collision with Ambrose is part of a night full of familiar pairings. It will take some creativity and hard work to make thesematchups stand out from what these men have done in the past.
