Latest Rumors and Preview for Final WWE SmackDown Before Fastlane 2018

Before Fastlane unfolds on Sunday, WWE SmackDown will offer a variety of warm-ups ahead of the pay-per-view.

AJ Styles will face Dolph Ziggler, one of the six men vying for his WWE Championship at Fastlane, in a non-title match on the go-home edition of SmackDown. Randy Orton will cross paths with a former WWE titleholder to help get ready for his PPV United States Championship match.

And SmackDown women's champ Charlotte Flair will stand in the same ring with her Fastlane opponent.

Green Bay, Wisconsin, will host as all those Superstars and their rivals rile each other up, as SmackDown offers more lasting images in an attempt to entice fans to tune into the PPV.

News updates, the SmackDown preview on WWE.com and storyline projections help provide an early look at Tuesday's show. The action will begin at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

News, Rumors

Rey Mysterio's potential re-signing with WWE may be delayed until he can heal up.

The former world champion came out of a match at an independent show hurt. On Monday, PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported: "Mysterio is scheduled to undergo testing today to determine the severity of his arm injury, which is feared to be a bicep tear."

That situation may give John Cena one fewer big-name WrestleMania opponent to choose from. Word is, though, that WWE wants him to square off The Deadman.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc), Cena vs. Undertaker is still planned for WrestleMania 34.

Cena challenged Undertaker on a recent Raw. Fans should be on the lookout for more hints of that potential showdown.

SmackDown Streaks

Shinsuke Nakamura continues to gain momentum ahead of his WWE title match at WrestleMania.

His win over Aiden English last week gave him four victories in a row including the Royal Rumble, per CageMatch.net. Nakamura is 5-1 in 2018 so far.

Mojo Rawley resides on a far different tier for the blue brand. It hasn't mattered that Rawley found new life as a heel. SmackDown hasn't showcased him.

Rawley has been relegated to dark matches and has now missed six straight SmackDowns, per CageMatch.net. He's gone just 1-2 in 2018 thus far. 

Considering what's happening to him, Rusev and others, SmackDown is looking more like the land of missed opportunities of late.

Last Leg of Fastlane Build

Orton will face a familiar foe as he preps for his U.S. title clash. The Viper will take on Jinder Mahal on Tuesday.

Mahal has hung around the U.S. title picture and had issues with both Orton and Bobby Roode, so it wouldn't be surprising if a win here for The Maharaja allowed him to force his way into the clash at Fastlane.

Credit: WWE.com

Before Flair and Ruby Riott battle for the SmackDown Women's Championship, they will meet in what will begin as a verbal confrontation. Knowing WWE's storytelling patterns and The Riott Squad's history, it's all but guaranteed violence will break out.

Lately, Flair has had both Naomi and Becky Lynch in her corner as she's collided with The Riott Squad. On Tuesday, Lynch may be distracted, however.

The Irish Lass Kicker is set to cross paths with Carmella. Thanks to some snarky exchanges on Twitter, a feud is now brewing between them.

WWE.com's SmackDown preview hinted at things boiling over between them when it asked: "What will happen when these two Superstars are in the same building? Will this social media rivalry turn physical?"

In Tuesday's main event, Styles will take on Ziggler.

The WWE champ and The Showoff should produce something quite entertaining if given some time to work with. But with WWE looking to hype the Six-Pack Challenge, one can bet things are going to get crowded with the other challengers.

Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Baron Corbin will put their imprints on the action as WWE gives us a preview of Fastlane's headline bout.