WWE SmackDown: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for August 9

The fog around the SummerSlam picture is poised to dissipate on Tuesday's WWE SmackDown. 

A number of question marks about the pay-per-view are waiting to be addressed. Who is Bray Wyatt looking to devour at the event? Will Rhyno make the cut? Does the blue brand have a plan for its women's division to be a part of the upcoming supershow? 

With an incomplete roster on hand, SmackDown will have additional opportunities to answer those questions. 

An injury will prevent one WWE alumnus from returning. Another former Superstar may be ready to step onto the stage instead. Backstage reports and social media offer insight into both situations.

The following is a look at what and who to expect on SmackDown when it airs Tuesday on the USA Network at 8 p.m. ET.

News, Potential Spoilers

The WWE-Shelton Benjamin reunion will have to wait. SmackDown was supposed to be the high-flyer's home once more after a six-year absence, but an injury is delaying that.

Benjamin explained via Twitter why he will hold off on coming back to the company:

The roster may add depth by way of another source, though. Former tag team champion Curt Hawkins is rumored to be heading back to WWE.

PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson wrote, "We have heard from additional sources that when Brian 'Curt Hawkins' Myers returns, it will be for the SmackDown brand."

Hawkins didn't return last week, but look out for him every Tuesday from this point on. The brand split has left WWE in need of more bodies and more familiar names. Raw welcomed back Jinder Mahal last week; SmackDown should follow suit with Hawkins soon.

Wyatt had an injury scare but is healthy enough to compete.

The Eater of Worlds clearly turned his ankle in his match with Dolph Ziggler last week. WWE didn't hold him out of action for long, though.

On Sunday, Dave Meltzer reported on Figure Four Online: "Wyatt worked against Randy Orton last night in Stockton. The match was kept short due to Wyatt's ankle sprain from Tuesday."

Expect WWE to utilize Wyatt but not ask him to deliver an iron-man performance. There's no need to push him at this point.

SmackDown Streaks

If Orton steps into the ring Tuesday, go ahead and pencil him in for a win.

His defeat of Fandango last week marked his sixth win in a row on SmackDown, according to Cagematch. Thanks in part to being out for a long stretch with a shoulder injury, The Viper hasn't lost on the show since 2014.

With Orton set to face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, WWE isn't about to have him drop any TV matches leading up to the big bout. The company needs Orton as hot as possible when SummerSlam arrives.

The Vaudevillains are in a less favorable situation. Simon Gotch and Aiden English have quickly moved to the bottom of the tag team division.

After winning its first three matches on SmackDown, the heel duo has gone 0-3 since, per Cagematch. The latest loss came against the debuting American Alpha.

The last SmackDown win for The Vaudevillains came back in early May. Even with such a thin tag team division, it doesn't look like Gotch and English are headed anywhere anytime soon.

SummerSlam Card Under Construction

Wyatt's loss to Ziggler last Tuesday left him without a clear role at the upcoming pay-per-view.

He failed to shove The Showoff aside and become the No. 1 contender for the WWE world title. Does that mean he gets benched for the moment, or will WWE find him a foil in a hurry?

The recently returned Rhyno is an option as a rival for Wyatt.

The beastly veteran will first have a less intimidating opponent. As announced on last week's show, Heath Slater will battle Rhyno on SmackDown. A victory would earn the free agent a spot on the roster.

Slater beating Rhyno, though, is the WWE equivalent of the Venezuelan national basketball team taking down the U.S. squad at the Olympics.  

What contribution the women's division will make to SummerSlam is up in the air too. There is currently no title for Becky Lynch, Natalya and the rest of the roster to fight over. There is no clear top story.

Natalya attacked Carmella before their matchup last week. Eva Marie backed out of her clash with Lynch after feigning an injury. Tuesday night will give fans a better idea of whether either of those tales develops into something that makes it to SummerSlam.

As Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc. noted, a number of wrestlers—including AJ Styles, John Cena and Apollo Crews—are scheduled for WWE's trip to Australia and will miss Tuesday's SmackDown.

That means there won't be any advancement on the Styles vs. Cena bout. It will be hard to take advantage of Crews' win last week, which earned him a crack at The Miz's Intercontinental Championship.

Suddenly, there will be more airtime to go around for the tag team and women's divisions. WWE will have to lean more on Wyatt, Rhyno and others. 

By the end of the night, it will be far more clear who is destined to miss out on SummerSlam and who will work their way onto the PPV's midcard.