WWE SmackDown: Spoiler-Free Preview for April 2

The first WWE SmackDown after WrestleMania 31 celebrates Sheamus' return and has a number of old rivals square off.

WrestleMania 31 was fantastic. Aside from a tepid ending, Monday's Raw was electric. Can Thursday's SmackDown continue that trend?

Stars such as Sheamus, Dean Ambrose, Natalya and Randy Orton will be charged with continuing WWE's momentum when the company visits the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

WWE is advertising that Thursday's SmackDown will air the full version of Roman Reigns' interview with Byron Saxton.

In terms of the in-ring action WWE taped Tuesday night, the following is a look at what's lined up without spoiling the results in the process.

Big Show vs. Randy Orton

A pair of familiar rivals face off again, as Orton's battles with The Authority continue.

Each man enters with ample momentum. Big Show won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and Orton took out Seth Rollins at WrestleMania courtesy of a gorgeous midair RKO.

Credit: WWE.com

The bout likely answers a few key questions. First, how committed to pushing Big Show is WWE? He looked absolutely dominant in his win at WrestleMania. Does the company want to make him a top heel again, or was that more of a lifetime achievement award for a long-tenured veteran?

As for Orton, fans will be wondering what's next for him. He has a strong claim to a title shot thanks to his WrestleMania win, but will that push him past Reigns?

Tangling with The Authority certainly hints at him going after Rollins in the near future.

Natalya vs. Naomi

WWE has yet to fully dive into this feud. Natalya and Naomi have instead mostly battled alongside their husbands, serving as add-ons to the rivalry between The Usos and Cesaro and Tyson Kidd.

They get a chance to shine alone here. Get your stopwatch ready and see if the company is going to continue its recent trend of letting the women fight for more than the blink of an eye.

A win here by either woman inches her closer to title contention. A brawl or a post-match attack instead points to this rivalry finally getting going.

The Miz vs. R-Truth

Like Big Show vs. Orton, the appeal of this collision is more about the potential storylines than the in-ring action.

Fans will get a glimpse at what WWE has in store for R-Truth moving forward. After losing in the Intercontinental Championship ladder match at WrestleMania, will he still be in title contention? A victory over The Miz would help him in that regard.

It's bad blood, not gold, that lies ahead for The Miz. He and Damien Mizdow parted ways at WrestleMania, and the two are sure to be at each other's throats for a long time.

After Mizdow's win against Stardust on Monday's Raw, The Miz bashed him from behind.

Does Mizdow return the favor here? Or does R-Truth deliver the beatdown?

Luke Harper vs. Dean Ambrose

With the sting of a WrestleMania defeat still lingering, Ambrose and Harper go at it once more. Following losing out on the IC title, Ambrose fell to John Cena in a U.S. title match on Monday's Raw.

He now gets a chance to take out his frustration on the man who powerbombed him through a ladder Sunday.

These two have had some quality bouts in the recent past. Expect hard-hitting action once more.

The Lunatic Fringe and Harper will be desperate to get back on track. How this plays out will provide a glimpse of what awaits these two. Are they set to feud with each other or move on to title pursuits?

Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan 

Fresh off a successful title defense (and tremendous match) against Dolph Ziggler on Monday's Raw, Bryan steps into the ring with the man who once dethroned him in 18 seconds.

The Celtic Warrior returned to action Monday night with a new look and a new attitude. He throttled everyone in sight, with his actions serving as an announcement that he is making the long-awaited return to heeldom.

Attacking Bryan and Ziggler likely signifies that Sheamus is forcing his way into the IC title picture. A win over the champ here all but assures him a title match down the road. 

These two have great chemistry, so if the match gets the proper time, it should be excellent. The same goes for Harper vs. Ambrose and Naomi vs. Natalya. 

And while SmackDown isn't a safe bet to offer the number of surprises Monday's Raw did, it has some compelling bouts on tap.