WWE SmackDown: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for Sept. 6

WWE SmackDown will put the finishing touches on the build for Sunday's Backlash pay-per-view.

Ahead of the first brand-exclusive PPV of the New Era, rivalries are set to increase in temperature. Four squads will battle in the semifinals of the tournament to crown the first SmackDown tag team champions, every Superstar in the women's division will hunt for momentum and AJ Styles will continue his pursuit of Dean Ambrose's WWE World Championship.

Lincoln, Nebraska, will host it all. 

Tuesday's SmackDown will have little trouble topping the Labor Day edition of Raw, which dragged for much of the night. There won't be a slew of squash matches as there were on Monday. Backlash being just days away assures a tauter, more focused show.

News updates, the SmackDown preview on WWE.com and a look at current rivalries offer a sneak peek of what to expect when the go-home show airs on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

News, Potential Spoilers

The uncomfortable confrontation between Daniel Bryan and The Miz on Talking Smack two weeks ago won't lead to an angle involving Bryan.

The SmackDown general manager shut down the storyline on last Tuesday's edition of Talking Smack. As Wrestling Inc. pointed out, Bryan said he's not allowed to do segments with The Miz anymore:

In addition, for those hoping The Miz might push Bryan around a bit to generate more heat, Mike Johnson wrote on PWInsider, "Internally, WWE considers any Daniel Bryan physical activity as part of their events off limits."

Bryan, though, may be introducing a returning talent to the show.

SmackDown has been running vignettes for former WWE Superstar Curt Hawkins for weeks with no specific date for his re-emergence. The former tag team champ has apparently been on the sidelines waiting for his turn to step into the ring.

According to PWInsider (h/t Bill Pritchard of Wrestle Zone), Hawkins was backstage during last Tuesday's SmackDown. 

And strangely enough, John Cena has been available to wrestle, but WWE has chosen to keep him off TV. The 15-time world champ has been limited to dark matches for the blue brand since SummerSlam.

It would be odd to bring him back just before Backlash, but as James Caldwell of PWTorch noted, Cena is advertised for Tuesday's SmackDown. 

SmackDown Streaks

Something has to give when a pair of teams on a roll meet in the semifinals of the tag team tournament. Both The Hype Bros and Heath Slater and Rhyno are in the midst of modest winning streaks.  

With a 2-0 record thus far, Rhyno is undefeated on SmackDown since returning to the show earlier this year. Slater is on a two-match winning streak. The team won its only match as a unit, knocking off The Headbangers last Tuesday.

The Hype Bros, meanwhile, have won seven in a row overall and have been victorious in their last two bouts on SmackDown.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Naomi has occupied a low rung on the SmackDown women's division since the brand split.

The former Team B.A.D. member is 0-4 in her last four matches overall. And she has lost her last four SmackDown matches.

Carmella, Nikki Bella and Becky Lynch are far safer bets to win the upcoming Six-Pack Challenge at Backlash to crown SmackDown's new women's champ. 

WWE.com's preview for Tuesday's show asked, "Who will make their mark on the final show before the first SmackDown Live pay-per-view?" One of those women is more likely to do so than Naomi.

Last Stages of Backlash Build

By the end of SmackDown, it will be clear who will battle at the PPV for the brand's new Tag Team Championships. As announced on last week's show, four teams will vie for a spot in the tournament finals.

Slater and Rhyno will take on The Hype Bros in one semifinal matchup. American Alpha will take on The Usos to decide who faces them for the gold at Backlash.

The latter matchup will likely feature more thrilling in-ring action, but Slater and Rhyno vs. The Hype Bros will have the advantage in terms of storyline. As a free agent, Slater has to win the tourney to earn a SmackDown roster spot.

WWE will have little time to hype the PPV's Intercontinental Championship. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler only became official last week after The Showoff got in the champ's face.

Those two have clashed several times over in the past, so WWE will have to be creative to make this more appealing than it is now.

One of Backlash's most intriguing feuds, Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt, is sure to get some airtime on Tuesday night.

So far, Wyatt has tried to unsettle The Viper, but Orton hasn't been fazed. The two predators have kept their distance from each other so far, but with Backlash on the way, that may change. 

The WWE.com SmackDown preview asked, "Will Orton manage to get his hands on his dark adversary five days ahead of schedule? Or, could Wyatt launch a treacherous sneak attack on his own?"

Styles vs. Ambrose promises to be the headlining rivalry ahead of Backlash.

Last week, Styles bested Apollo Crews. The world champ, on the other hand, lost by disqualification to Baron Corbin, thanks to Styles' interference. Ambrose, though, left Styles writhing on the ring ropes in pain.

More violence and animosity is on the way in this story. Tuesday night marks WWE's last shot at selling audiences on Backlash and its main event.

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.