John Cena will return to ‘Smackdown Live’ on December 27th. (WWE)
Tonight on SmackDown Live, John Cena returns after a two-month absence. What will Cena have to say to the WWE universe? And how will the face of never giving up explain away the fact that he apparently gave up after losing to AJ Styles at No Mercy? Plus, three championship matches will take place, with the World Championship, Tag Team Championship, and Women’s Championship all on the line. Which titles, if any, will change hands? The show will begin tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the USA Network. Check back in at 8 for match results and spoilers, and read on for a preview of the night’s events.
John Cena returns to SmackDown Live this evening after taking a hiatus to film his reality series, American Grit. Cena has been feuding with AJ Styles, the WWE World Champion, for several months now, and the two had a match back at SummerSlam back in August. Styles emerged victorious, and a humiliated Cena took off his “never give up” armband and disappeared. He returned a few weeks later to challenge Styles to another championship match, and so Cena faced Styles (and Dean Ambrose) at No Mercy in October. Once again, Cena lost. He still clearly wants another title run, so how will Cena be able to take on AJ Styles after two humiliating losses?
Meanwhile, AJ Styles will be a bit busy tonight defending his World Championship. Last week, Daniel Bryan announced that The Phenomenal One would be facing Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin in a triple threat match with the World Championship on the line. This occurred after Corbin and Ziggler clashed over who should get a shot at the title, with Corbin saying that Ziggler has been given far too many chances this year. Will AJ Styles be able to hold on to the World Championship? Could we actually enter 2017 with Dolph Ziggler or Baron Corbin as the new champ that runs the camp?
That’s the first of three title matches taking place tonight, with the second being for the Tag Team Championship. On December 27th’s show, the Wyatt Family has to defend their title against The Usos, American Alpha, and Heath Slater and Rhyno in a Four Corners Elimination match. Although The Hype Bros. earned a shot at the title a few weeks ago, those plans had to be scrapped when Zack Ryder suffered a legitimate injury in the ring which will take him out of action for several months.
And in the women’s division, the feud between Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch continues. Last week, Lynch pretended to be a mask-wearing jobber just to have a chance to beat up Alexa Bliss, who was furious about Lynch’s trickery. Tonight, Alexa Bliss will fight Becky Lynch once again, with the Women’s Championship belt on the line. Will Lynch be able to reclaim her belt? Or will Bliss be able to put an end to her once and for all?
We’ll find out tonight when SmackDown Live airs on the USA Network.
Zack Ryder Injury Update: When Will He Return to ‘SmackDown Live’?
Zack Ryder legitimately injured his knee on a recent episode of SmackDown Live, and he has now revealed that he will be out for several months.
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is a Heavy contributor who covers news, politics, professional wrestling, and more. He has previously written about film for Bloody Disgusting, We Got This Covered, What Culture, and The Celebrity Cafe. Follow him on twitter @brendanmorrow.December 27, 2016 12:24 pm