WWE SmackDown: Spoiler-Free Preview for September 17

Seth Rollins will find an unlikely partner on WWE SmackDown, as he'll team with the man promising to rip the world title from his shoulders at Night of Champions.

Rollins and Sheamus make a formidable but volatile pair on the go-home show ahead of Sunday's pay-per-view. They'll headline a show that will serve as WWE's last chance to hype Night of Champions, adding any last elements to the narratives that will comprise that event.

Kevin Owens will seek momentum before his Intercontinental Championship match. The Dudley Boyz will look to add another victory before challenging for the tag titles.

The Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas, will play host to it all.

WWE taped all the bouts, bluster and brawls on Tuesday. None of it will air, though, until Sept. 17 on Syfy at 8 p.m. ET.

Fans can choose to take an early peek at the results (courtesy of Wrestling Inc) or else read on for a spoiler-free look at the matches set for Thursday.

Naomi and Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch and Paige

While Charlotte and Nikki Bella have collided over the Divas Championship, Paige and Banks have been busy building a feud outside the title scene.

Their matches have grown more intense each time out. Last week, they couldn't even get through the opening moments of the contest before brawling like two wild animals.

Banks followed that with a submission victory against The Anti-Diva on Monday's Raw. With Naomi at her side this time, can she keep bolstering her win-loss record?

It's not clear if WWE plans for this to lead to a match at Night of Champions or if the rivalry will have to culminate after the PPV. That will be the big key to watch for here, in addition to the question of whether Banks' winning ways will continue.

The Dudley Boyz vs. The New Day

In a head-scratcher of a decision, WWE is offering up the Night of Champions tag title match early. This may be a non-title bout, but it takes away from the PPV match's uniqueness. 

The New Day is fresh off a successful title defense against The Prime Time Players on Monday's Raw. The champs were their usual mix of annoying and dangerous that night en route to the victory that set up the Night of Champions title clash.

Should The Dudley Boyz win here, conventional wisdom is that The New Day will then win on Sunday to counterbalance that result. Fans, however, will be skeptical that this will even go to a true finish.

WWE may just be using this as a way to get these duos slugging it out to build toward their upcoming showdown.

Cesaro vs. Big Show

Neither man has a place on the Night of Champions card. Will this collision lead to a battle in Houston that night?

Cesaro has plenty of reason to go after the giant. Big Show clocked him without provocation. Other than revenge, The King of Swing will have a change in his fortunes on his mind.

He has battled hard in recent action but has fallen short several times over. Kevin Owens and Sheamus are among those who have bested him of late. Is there a story developing here centered on Cesaro's losing streak?

Should he put away The World's Largest Athlete, a whole other narrative about his bouncing back could unfold instead.

Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

Look no further for the match with the most show-stealing potential on Thursday's SmackDown. A pair of stellar in-ring performers will face off, both in search of a win before their Night of Champions contests.

Owens has a shot at Ryback and the IC title ahead of him. Ziggler will be adding some wrestling to the melodrama-heavy feud between him and Rusev.

The Showoff will have to worry about Rusev lurking during this SmackDown clash. A soap opera of a rivalry has seen those men fighting over love interests, romantic gifts and supposed affairs. The Bulgarian Brute may be looking to land some cheap shots while Ziggler is busy with Owens.

Hopefully, Ziggler will gets a break from his tired storyline with Rusev and get back to providing drama in the ring instead.

Seth Rollins and Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose

The three men who once formed The Shield will meet in SmackDown's main event.

Rollins has to balance the pursuit of momentum with not expending himself too much. He has two championship matches on tap on Sunday's PPV.  The fact that Sheamus, a man poised to pluck the world title from him, is the one who stands in his corner on Thursday night will only make things worse for him.

As for Reigns and Ambrose, they'll look to stay strong before their six-man collision with The Wyatt Family at Night of Champions.

Recent history suggests that Reigns and Ambrose should probably hire some security around the ring. Bray Wyatt and his monstrous crew have made a habit of ambushing the fan favorites.

SmackDown surprisingly looks as if it will focus a good amount of airtime on wrestlers not scheduled for Night of Champions. While that may be a poor choice business-wise, the card looks mighty good on paper from an in-ring standpoint.

Owens vs. Ziggler and the closing tag battle will be reason enough to tune in on Thursday night.