WWE SmackDown: Spoiler-Free Preview for August 27

Like SummerSlam, the last WWE SmackDown of August will be heavy on tag team action.

The Bella Twins face off against another pair of rival women. Rusev and Big Show team up to make quite the intimidating duo. And most notably, The Dudley Boyz's surprise return to WWE sees them in the ring on SmackDown for the first time since 2004.

Thursday's SmackDown has to follow a packed weekend and a highly eventful edition of Raw. For all the surprises and big developments Monday's show offered, it gave fans little in the way of in-ring action.

A lineup of promising matchups has SmackDown poised to make up for that.

WWE taped all the high-flying and brawling in Providence, Rhode Island, on Tuesday. The show won't air until Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on Syfy. Until then, fans can either go the read-the-results-early route (courtesy of WrestlingInc.com) or dig into the following spoiler-free look at all the night's clashes. 

The Dudley Boyz vs. The Ascension

Bubba Ray and D-Von stormed back onto the WWE stage on Monday's Raw. And with that addition, the tag team division has suddenly been energized, and the possibilities for what's next for the former tag champs have fans abuzz.

Bleacher Report's Dan Pecoraro had some thoughts on what lies ahead for the table-breaking duo:

This bout should offer a peek at what WWE has planned for The Dudley Boyz. Do they go after The New Day again or have another intense interaction with The Prime Time Players? Do they dominate here or put Viktor and Konnor over at all?

Those questions alone make this an intriguing contest despite Bubba Ray and D-Von being heavily favored here. And seeing them compete in a WWE ring after a decade-long absence is reason enough to tune in to SmackDown.

Neville vs. Kevin Owens

Owens came out of the weekend 1-1, failing to beat Finn Balor for the NXT title on Saturday but knocking off Cesaro in an impressive match the next night. The WWE announce team talked up that win quite a bit, seemingly hinting at the bruiser's moving up the ladder afterward.

A definitive, one-sided victory against Neville would certainly point in that direction.

As for Neville, he's clearly still in a feud with Stardust after SummerSlam. The two collided on Monday's Raw in an unofficial scrap. Fans will be on the lookout for interference from The Prince of Darkness, or at least Stardust's mocking the high-flyer from the Jumbotron.

Momentum is up for grabs in a match that could be one of the week's best. These two have shown good chemistry against each other in the past, and both have a penchant for delivering in TV bouts like these with no backstory.

The Bellas vs. Becky Lynch and Charlotte

Can the stalling Divas Revolution pick up any steam?

The contrast of the classic between Sasha Banks and Bayley at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn and the underwhelming stuff we saw from the women at SummerSlam and Raw was stark. It leaves fans wondering just what's happening in the women's division on the main roster. 

Whether WWE can deliver on all its talk of change and actually give these women a chance has yet to be seen. 

There will be ample talent in the ring for this bout. Say what you want about Nikki Bella's acting and mic work, but she has grown tremendously in the ring. Her battle with Lynch and Charlotte has the potential to produce some fireworks.

The question will be how much story WWE delivers here.

Rusev and Big Show vs. Dolph Ziggler and Ryback

A collision of two unfamiliar teams will at least be something new.

Rusev and Ziggler continue their rivalry, while Big Show gets another crack at the man who beat him at SummerSlam. The Showoff and Rusev's pay-per-view bout ended in a double count-out. It's clear that many more rounds of their feud remain.

This is a good chance to up the animosity between them, making things more personal en route to their expected next matchup. There will no doubt be some focus on their girlfriends as well. Summer Rae and Lana have been central to this story thus far, their catfighting being more intense than anything the men have done when fighting.

As for Ryback, one would have thought he would be moving onto another challenger for his Intercontinental Championship.

He has taken down Big Show several times already. He attempts to do so once again. Perhaps WWE can insert some juice in their rivalry and give the audience reason to invest in a possible forthcoming meeting between the powerhouses.

Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus

Former United States champ faces former United States champ to cap off Thursday's SmackDown.

Pitting these two against each other is a breath of fresh air. Ambrose has been engaged in a war with The Wyatt Family for weeks, and most of his matches have included one of those bearded brutes. As for Sheamus, he and Randy Orton have feuded without the benefit of a substantial storyline.

Credit: WWE.com

They both take a break from those rivalries and step into the ring for a bout with plenty of promise. Both men are adept at brawling. Both men excel in hard-hitting, intense showdowns. Count on another one taking place here.

Chances are, though, that either Orton or the Wyatt clan will get involved. There are unresolved issues between those men and, of course, WWE has to start building toward Night of Champions.