WWE SmackDown: Spoiler-Free Preview for January 22

A trio of exiled Superstars will return on the Jan. 22 edition of WWE SmackDown.

Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan and Ryback are all in action after Sting's Raw debut resulted in the reinstatement of all three men. They are just in time to hop in for the last leg of the build toward the Royal Rumble.

WWE has one last chance to create anticipation for the pay-per-view, to have animosity increase and for wrestlers to gain momentum before the 30-man match. Expect new names to be added to that bout. 

Austin, Texas, hosted the show on Tuesday. It will air on Syfy at 8 p.m. ET on SmackDown's new night, Thursday.

For those fans wishing to see what contests are scheduled without seeing who won and lost, the following is a spoiler-free preview of Thursday's go-home edition of SmackDown.

Bad News Barrett vs. Dolph Ziggler

Since taking the WWE Intercontinental Championship from Ziggler, Barrett has struggled. 

Sin Cara knocked him off on the Jan. 9 SmackDown, and despite battling on an injured leg, Dean Ambrose defeated Barrett on Monday's Raw.

The Englishman will be looking to avoid another non-title loss, and to give Ziggler an unpleasant welcome back to WWE. 

Stellar chemistry between these two means there's a good shot that this will end up being the best match of the night.

Should these two start feuding in earnest, great matches aplenty are guaranteed. How this plays out will hint at whether Ziggler will be tangling with The Authority instead. 

Rusev vs. Ryback

WWE has been building toward this match for weeks. Surprisingly, we get to see it on SmackDown. 

Rusev enters with no losses by pinfall or submission on his record. Ryback, fresh off getting his job back, has had a career resurgence in the last few months. He has gone from a struggling midcard fighter to a man on the rise.

Who plays the prey when two predators meet?

That fact that this is a non-title match suggests that there will be more clashes between them in the future. They are sure to cross paths at the Royal Rumble and beyond.

Before those chapters of their story unfold, the two powerhouses will both be looking to deliver the first blow in what should be a slugfest that extends for a long while.

Naomi vs. Brie Bella

Naomi is set to play a cheerleader role at the Royal Rumble, while her husband Jimmy Uso looks to retain the tag team titles.

Brie, meanwhile, has an actual match on tap. The Bella Twins take on Paige and Natalya at Sunday's pay-per-view.

Brie has a shot to gain some substantial momentum with a win over Naomi. It wouldn't necessarily be an upset if Naomi came out on top, but it would certainly have Brie enter her next match with shaky confidence. 

Credit: WWE.com

WWE could decide to make this more of a set-up for the Royal Rumble than a bout that plays out until the end. Paige and Natalya could get involved, especially considering how unstable Paige is.

Luke Harper vs. Erick Rowan

The former members of The Wyatt Family collide again.

Thanks to Sting and John Cena's actions on Monday night, Rowan now has his job back. He will be hoping to have more success at work than he has had of late, though.

Rowan hasn't won much since going solo. Bray Wyatt rolled over him on the first SmackDown of 2015. Harper beat him the last time they faced off, although he had the assistance of two weasel referees.

Fans will be awaiting an indication of where these two men are headed next. Harper has faded from the spotlight since losing the Intercontinental Championship. WWE seems unsure of what it wants to do with Rowan.

Do Rowan and Harper proceed with a full-fledged rivalry, or does one of these brutes beat the other down and move on to bigger things?

Daniel Bryan vs. Kane (No Disqualification)

Before Bryan enters the Royal Rumble, before he can begin his climb toward the WrestleMania marquee again, he needs to finish off an old foe.

This will only be Bryan's fourth match since returning from injury. All but one of those involved Kane. The stipulation points to this putting a definitive end to the most recent installment of their feud.

On Monday's Raw, Bray Wyatt focused on Bryan's neck, leaving him writhing on the mat. The expectation is that Kane will do the same.

For now, it's the target painted on Bryan.

Just like last week, having him perform on SmackDown after such a long absence will be a welcome sight. Battling Kane again isn't the most thrilling of options, but fans will take that over watching Bryan stand around in street clothes. 

This will be a night bookended by familiar matchups, one that serves as an adrenaline-filled aperitif before the Royal Rumble.