SmackDown LIVE preview, May 16, 2017: Orton & Corbin clash on last stop before WWE Backlash
Just five days before defending his WWE Championship against Jinder Mahal at WWE Backlash, Randy Orton will face Baron Corbin on SmackDown LIVE. Will The Viper tame The Lone Wolf, or will Corbin derail Orton before his big match? Find out tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network!

Both AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal are challenging for championships this Sunday at WWE Backlash, but they’ll be facing off against each other tonight on SmackDown LIVE.
The Phenomenal One is on a crusade to confirm that the blue brand truly is the house he built. That quest continues Sunday when Styles challenges Kevin Owens for the United States Championship. Before that, Styles will square off with one of Team Blue’s fastest-rising Superstars.
Mahal has skyrocketed to the upper echelons of WWE after winning a grueling Six-Pack Challenge to earn his WWE Championship opportunity against Randy Orton in Chicago and went on to pin The Viper in six-man tag team action last week. Can he continue his momentum with a victory over a former WWE Champion?

The Bulgarian Brute has refused to compete on SmackDown LIVE since being sent to Team Blue in the Superstar Shake-up. Rusev has made it clear that the only way he will step into the ring is if he receives a WWE Championship Match at Money in the Bank on June 18.

The bruiser has yet to receive an answer to his demands and declared that he is coming to SmackDown LIVE to get one from Commissioner Shane McMahon. Will Rusev get the answer he’s looking for? Or will he be packing his bags to return to Bulgaria?