WWE SmackDown: Spoiler-Free Preview for May 7

The spotlight hits the tag team division on the first WWE SmackDown of May.

The New Day, the giddy tag team champions who spent much of Monday's Raw congratulating themselves, hope to have more reason to celebrate after six-man tag action in Ottawa, Ontario. Los Matadores and The Lucha Dragons look to add to their win totals as well.

WWE has to hope that the show does better than last week's edition. Going up against the NFL draft, the April 30 SmackDown flopped in terms of viewership.

As ProWrestling.net notes, "SmackDown drew its worst rating of the year" with just a 1.62.

Perhaps the momentum gained from an entertaining Raw will boost this week's numbers. It's also helpful that WWE is bringing in the headliners from Payback: Thursday's SmackDown will feature the official contract signing between Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton.

Fans know to expect chaos when those four men meet. As for what to look forward to when it comes to the in-ring action, the following results-free preview has you covered.

The pre-taped show airs on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on Syfy.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Bad News Barrett

If Daniel Bryan were healthy, these two would likely be jostling for position in the Intercontinental Championship scene. As it stands, the former is entangled with Sheamus in an increasingly hostile feud, while the latter is busy boasting about winning the King of the Ring tournament.

WWE has foreshadowed that Ziggler will be taking on Sheamus at Payback. For Barrett, it looks like the company wants to keep his rivalry with Neville going.

On Thursday night, they take a break from those stories and collide in the show's opener.

While not a thriller of a matchup because of how often WWE has turned to this combination, it has promise thanks to their chemistry together. Barrett and Ziggler usually combine to create something electric.

Fandango vs. Luke Harper

A lack of direction hampers both of these midcarders. 

Fandango ditched Rosa Mendes and the Latin element of his gimmick. He now tries to make an impact as a babyface, but WWE has seemed noncommittal about showcasing him. Harper, meanwhile, has had little story to work with and has mostly been used to get wins for other guys.

Whether this is the start of anything for them or not, one man accustomed to losing will claim a victory Thursday night.

Credit: WWE.com

The thing to keep an eye on beyond the result is whether WWE will signal what lies ahead for either wrestler. Is either one of them set to go on a roll? Is this possibly going to develop into something more than just a one-night clash?

The New Day vs. Ryback, Cesaro and Tyson Kidd

As Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E look to turn fans' rejection of them into heel heat, they have turned up their positivity to a grating level and overcelebrated their victories. Their progress as characters continues in their latest matchup.

Ryback joins the men The New Day dethroned in order to take down the clap-happy squad.

While Cesaro and Kidd have been playing a babyface role of late, it's not clear what sparked the change in attitude. Perhaps we'll get a clue of what's going on with their characters here, but WWE is just as likely to skip over that bit of the narrative.

Regardless, The New Day battling Cesaro and Kidd has resulted in some quality action of late. Expect that trend to continue, especially with Ryback adding a fresh face to the mix. 

Emma vs. Naomi

Canadian fans will get to experience a rare Emma sighting from up close. The little-used Diva has been shuffling back and forth between NXT and the main roster.

She faces a tough test here in the form of a woman who has been punishing her competition. Naomi's hunt for the Divas title has brought out an aggressive, predatory side. She's been nastier and more focused.

On Monday night, Naomi had a powerful ally at her side.

Tamina Snuka returned as Naomi's muscle. The two heels clobbered The Bella Twins.

What role will Tamina play here? Will Nikki and Brie Bella be looking for revenge while the action is going on? Those are the biggest questions surrounding this matchup, besides that of what WWE has in mind for these women at Payback.

Los Matadores vs. The Lucha Dragons

That fact that WWE taped SmackDown on Cinco De Mayo appears to have inspired the company to celebrate its luchadores. 

Sin Cara and Kalisto have done well to add to their win column since debuting. They looked to be in line for a tag team title shot, but The New Day bypassed them. They are in search of some new rivals or maybe just a stepping stone to climb back into contention.

Los Matadores, meanwhile, haven't shown up much on screen. Once 3MB left, WWE has seemed unsure of how to proceed with the bullfighters.

Credit: WWE.com

It's uncertain whether this bout will signal that the four masked men are set for a series of battles against one another. Fans do know, though, that they will be getting some fast-paced action here. 

Thursday night marks the tag team division's chance to grab hold of the audience and for SmackDown to try to replicate the energy that Monday's Raw created.