WWE SmackDown: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for Dec. 6 - Bleacher Report

The surreal and bizarre saga that is the James Ellsworth vs. AJ Styles feud may well come to an emphatic end on the Dec. 6 edition of WWESmackDown.

The overachieving Ellsworth will cash in his chance at the WWE World Championship. Styles will look to finally swat the fly that's been buzzing in his ear for weeks. 

WWE's writing team will have plenty to juggle on the first SmackDown following Sunday's TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view. Dean Ambrose's hungry for revenge, the mystery of who clocked Nikki Bella from behind and The Wyatt Family's rise all have to be addressed as Houston welcomes the blue brand.

What shape will Styles be in for his latest championship bout? What's next for SmackDown's new women's champ? How will WWE follow up on everything that unfolded at TLC.

Backstage updates, the SmackDown preview on WWE.com and storyline analysis help answer those questions before the show airs on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

      

On Tap 

Bella is bringing a special guest to SmackDown.

The former Divas champ invited young singer and actress Sophia Grace to the show. Grace accepted via Twitter:

This is a case of the company trying to infuse pop culture into its product, but does Grace's fanbase overlap with WWE's? Hopefully, this is a brief bit before Bella moves on to more serious fare.

Ellsworth vs. Styles IV is on in its way, too.

The chinless warrior earned a title shot before TLC when he knocked off Styles in a ladder match. At the PPV, he assured that his opponent would be The Phenomenal One when he hurled Ambrose into a table, costing his ally the match.

Ellsworth announced on the post-PPV edition of Talking Smack that he would challenge Styles on this Tuesday's SmackDown. He even talked a bit of trash on Twitter:

The story has seen Ellsworth score the unlikeliest of upsets of Styles three times over. He's had plenty of help from Ambrose in those wins, though. 

This time around, The Lunatic Fringe certainly won't be assisting him.

      

News, Potential Spoilers

The brutality of Sunday's TLC match has the champ slightly hobbled. 

Dave Meltzer reported on Figure Four Online: "Styles suffered what WWE officials called a minor ankle injury last night in his TLC main event with Dean Ambrose." PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson added that WWE pulled Styles out of a match at a house show in Tyler, Texas, on Monday as a "precautionary measure."

WWE is still advertising Styles vs. Ellsworth for Tuesday night, but the world champ may not be going all out for that one. 

Royal Rumble is not far away. WWE needs to make sure he doesn't worsen that injury before the marquee event.

SmackDown won't have John Cena once again. He'll once more be busy in a world outside of WWE.

Johnson wrote for PWInsider.com, "John Cena is in NYC preparing for Saturday Night Live this coming weekend." 

               

SmackDown Streaks

Bray Wyatt has grown accustomed to the taste of victory of late.

The newly crowned tag team champion and Randy Orton knocked off Heath Slater and Rhyno at TLC and beat up American Alpha on SmackDown before that. Wyatt now owns a four-match winning streak on SmackDown, and has put together six consecutive victories overall, per CageMatch.net. 

No one has pinned The Eater of Worlds since Sept. 11.

That seems to be a sign of WWE finally investing in Wyatt. He is looking like the monster so many wanted him to be. The company would be wise to keep this roll going, presenting Wyatt as a force to be feared.

His stablemate Luke Harper, though, hasn't been as lucky in terms of booking.

Last week, Kane chopped down the big man for the second time in a row. Per CageMatch.net, that marked four straight defeats in singles action on SmackDown for Harper, dating back to before the knee injury he suffered last year.

He is now 2-8 in his last 10 one-on-one contests overall.

WWE's handling of Harper has been baffling. Why not look to showcase him and see what he can do in a high-profile spot while he's still in his prime?

     

TLC Fallout

After Carmella fell to Bella at TLC in a No Disqualification match, she made quite the newsworthy claim.

She said she didn't attack Bella backstage before Survivor Series. The Princess of Staten Island blamed the ambush on Natalya.

That will clearly be something Tuesday's show addresses. The SmackDown preview on WWE.com asked, "Will Nikki Bella herself have anything to say about it this Tuesday night?"

This smells like a Bella vs. Natalya feud is in the works. Where Carmella fits into that mix is unclear. She's been largely defined by her animosity toward Bella since joining the blue brand. 

Alexa Bliss will enter Houston with a coveted prize in her grip.

She dethroned Becky Lynch at TLC to become the second women to hold the SmackDown Women's Championship. In a backstage interview after her loss, Lynch pleaded for a rematch:

Will she get one soon, or will WWE hold off until the Royal Rumble in January? The SmackDown preview asked of Bliss: "Does she have what it takes to stay on the top of the mountain, or will The Irish Lass Kicker (or another determined SmackDown competitor, for that matter) swiftly knock her back off?"

That teased the possibility of someone else stepping up to Bliss. 

Her feud with Lynch should definitely continue, but WWE can offer some variety by having other women step up to challenge the champ as well. Naomi has been criminally underused since the draft. Her past issues with Bliss would make it easy to slide her into a title match at some point.

Tuesday's SmackDown will likely feature a lot of The Wyatt Family. 

Fresh off seizing the tag titles, Wyatt and Orton should be in the mood to celebrate. And WWE continues to paint that pairing as one taking over SmackDown.

WWE has to remember to be creative with its presentation of this stable. Wyatt's unique character lends itself to supernatural elements and departures from the beaten path.

The Wyatt Family's reign promises to deliver a jolt to the already electric blue brand.

SUMBER

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