SmackDown LIVE preview: Jan. 31, 2017: John Cena returns as WWE Champion!

Tonight, John Cena returns to SmackDown LIVE as a 16-time World Champion, and Randy Orton
as the winner of the 2017 Royal Rumble Match.

The 16-time World Champ is here!

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – At Royal Rumble, John Cena overcame AJ Styles in an incredible matchup
to become a 16-time World Champion – tying the record set by WWE Hall of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.
Tonight, The Champ will return to SmackDown LIVE, and questions are already emerging. For instance,
although we now know The Cenation Leader will be defending the title inside the Elimination Chamber
on Feb. 12, who will his five opponents be? Will Styles get his one-on-one rematch prior to that
career-altering contest? And after winning the Royal Rumble Match, is Randy Orton destined to battle
Cena at WrestleMania?

Is Luke Harper coming after the 2017 Royal Rumble Match winner Randy Orton?

Just because Orton overcame 29 other Superstars to earn his opportunity to headline WrestleMania,
that doesn’t mean he has a clear path to the WWE Title just yet. After all, The Road to WrestleMania
can be extremely hazardous, especially when someone is out to get retribution on you.
Perhaps the biggest obstacle for The Viper right now is Luke Harper. After weeks of friction between
Orton and Harper, Bray Wyatt delivered Sister Abigail to his dreaded disciple last week. In response,
Harper came after The New Face of Fear in the Royal Rumble Match and sent a clear message that he
will be gunning for the entire Wyatt Family moving forward.
So, it is safe to say that before WWE’s Apex Predator can step onto The Grandest Stage of Them All,
he is going to have to step into the darkness to settle his family affairs

Naomi & Becky Lynch set to go to war against Alexa Bliss & Mickie James

On the Royal Rumble Kickoff, all of SmackDown LIVE’s heated Women’s division rivalries converged in the
ring at the same time, with Nikki Bella, Becky Lynch & Naomi taking on Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss,
Natalya & Mickie James.
Of all that talent, Naomi was someone who stood out in the whirlwind contest. After recently returning
to Team Blue, the neon-clad Superstar not only made a strong statement against all three of her opponents,
but she ultimately pinned the WWE Women’s Champion.
What will be the fallout of Naomi’s huge victory when she & Becky go head-to-head against Alexa & Mickie
tonight?

Who is coming after Dean Ambrose’s Intercontinental Championship?

As The Road to WrestleMania heats up, it is always exciting to see which Superstars will look to seize a
golden opportunity at The Showcase of the Immortals. While the future of the WWE Title will surely be
determined inside the Elimination Chamber, and one of the many female competitors mentioned above could
step in to attempt and dethrone Alexa Bliss, the contention for SmackDown LIVE’s other two titles are very
much up for grabs.
Case in point: Dean Ambrose overcame former titleholder The Miz in a Lumberjack Match one week ago. Will
this take the A-Lister out of contention? What about a Superstar like Baron Corbin, who made his presence
known in the Royal Rumble Match by eliminating Braun Strowman? Could Dolph Ziggler use his new aggression
to try to knock off The Lunatic Fringe? Dare we mention … James Ellsworth, who is no stranger to Ambrose?
Also, consider that SmackDown Tag Team Champions American Alpha dispensed of former champions The Wyatt
Family in their title rematch two weeks ago. With Randy Orton turning his attention to WrestleMania’s main
event, it is a strong bet that the field is now wide open for new No. 1 contenders. But who will it be?
The Usos? The Ascension? The Vaudevillains? Perhaps close cohorts Kalisto & Apollo Crews will look to throw
their hats (and masks) into play? Find out who jumps in to fill the void, tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network.

James Ellsworth and Carmella: Who is helping who?

When James Ellsworth was at his lowest point in WWE several weeks ago, Carmella was there to support him.
Then, as the WWE Universe was still struggling to figure out the nature of their association, Ellsworth
began helping The Princess of Staten Island tip the scales in her matches. Carmella then took her chinless
cohort on a shopping spree, leaving a lot of people scratching their heads.
After getting demolished by Brock Lesnar in the Royal Rumble Match on Sunday, Ellsworth will presumably
return to Team Blue tonight. It will be interesting to see whether Carmella will have a new plan to get
him back on track, or will it be all about making sure the Princess is kept happy?