WWE No Mercy 2016: Biggest X-Factors to Watch at SmackDown PPV

WWE SmackDown's early domination in the war with Raw continues apace, and SmackDown will go to pay-per-view once again on Oct. 9, as No Mercy aims to continue the stranglehold the show has on WWE programming.

Backlash, SmackDown's first exclusive pay-per-view, was a huge success, with the booking, surprise elements and all-round delivery of the show making for a polished event.

And as Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan continue to head up a brand which has plenty of exciting elements to it, here are the biggest things to watch for at No Mercy, as that pay-per-view returns to the company's calendar for the first time since 2008.

Daniel Bryan's Next Obstacle for The Miz

It is a testimony to SmackDown's booking that the show is making the Intercontinental Championship more interesting and intriguing than just the two men directly vying for the title.

Although Dolph Ziggler and The Miz are doing a great job of selling the feud and had another great match on SmackDown this past Tuesday, there's more to it than that.

The Miz's backstage segments with Daniel Bryan and their constant bickering over a potential contract have fans on edge about what is going to happen next.

At this stage, it's still unthinkable that Bryan will step back into the ring at any point in the future, so how will the GM make life difficult for the champion?

After The Miz's win on Tuesday, it's unclear whether Ziggler will get another shot. The controversial finish may give him another opportunity at No Mercy, but expect Bryan to make life even worse for the champion both before and during the show.

American Alpha's Role in Proceedings

Chad Gable's return from injury on Tuesday was a welcome boost for the SmackDown tag division, and in the grand scheme of things, having The Usos go over and advance to face Heath Slater and Rhyno felt like the right move.

It sets up a traditional babyface-heel feud, but don't expect American Alpha to simply fade into the background at No Mercy.

It feels like the duo are destined for a title feud with Jimmy and Jey Uso for the titles, so whether they will cost The Usos the match is uncertain. 

But it would be foolish for the SmackDown booking team to have Gable and Jason Jordan do nothing at No Mercy.

Whether it's winning a match of their own or exacting revenge on The Usos for their victory this week, the key to this feud is keeping the intensity levels high.

Both sides have been on great form recently—there's no need to change that now.

Dean Ambrose's Character: Heel or Tweener?

So just what is Dean Ambrose: babyface, heel or tweener?

It's probably easy to strike the first of those three options out immediately, especially judging by the way he attacked John Cena last week.

Ambrose is going through something of a character transformation lately. His run as a clean, babyface champion didn't really do him any favors, so a return to his edgy attitude in recent weeks after dropping the WWE World Championship has been a big boost for both him and SmackDown.

His promo on Cena was great, turning him back down the antihero route in WWE—and his attack on Cena only further suggested he could become the ruthless, carefree tweener the company desperately needs him to be.

No Mercy should give WWE fans further indications about Ambrose's character moving forward. He may not win the WWE World Championship, but if he continues to act like the antihero at the event, then it will not be a bad night all-round for The Lunatic Fringe.