WWE SmackDown: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for Jan. 31

WWE SmackDown will have little time to dwell on what unfolded at Royal Rumble. The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view is only two weeks away, forcing the blue brand to start building that card in a hurry.

Randy Orton will have to go from celebrating his win in the Royal Rumble match on Sunday to dealing with the turmoil threatening to end The Wyatt Family. John Cena will walk into Tuesday's SmackDown with the WWE Championship after a huge win against AJ Styles, but he'll do so with a giant target on his back.

Contenders are poised to move in on both the Intercontinental Championship and tag team titles, too, as WWE travels to Corpus Christi, Texas.

What bouts will make up the Feb. 12 PPV? What stories will shape SmackDown's march to WrestleMania?

Backstage notes, the SmackDown preview on WWE.com and storyline analysis help answer those questions. Read on for a full preview of the post-Rumble edition of SmackDown before it airs on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

News, Potential Spoilers

The historic nature of Cena's 16th world title reign may not be a major focus moving forward.

Dave Meltzer noted for Figure Four Online, "There was a plan to make a bigger deal of John Cena tying Ric Flair's record but it was rewritten out of the [Royal Rumble] show."

If WWE is planning on having Cena drop the belt inside the Elimination Chamber, it makes sense that the company would downplay him matching Flair's record. Tuesday's SmackDown may see the narrative surrounding Cena's time as champ center on a different element.

Meltzer also discussed on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Nick Paglino of WrestleZone) that SmackDown's commissioner, Shane McMahon, will be wrestling at WrestleMania, possibly against Styles. It will be interesting to see if any of those seeds get planted on Tuesday night. 

It looks as if SmackDown referee Charles Robinson won't be calling any action this week.

Robinson apparently suffered an injury. He posted a shot of himself in a walking boot:

The ref also noted that he would be back in time for the Elimination Chamber PPV. Other SmackDown officials will have to pick up the slack in the meantime.

SmackDown Streaks

Dean Ambrose has enjoyed the taste of victory often of late.

The intercontinental champion outlasted The Miz in a Lumberjack match for the title last Tuesday. As seen on his CageMatch.net profile, that pushed his record to 4-0 in his last four matches on SmackDown.

WWE too often has its midcard champions lose in nontitle action. So far, that hasn't been the case with The Lunatic Fringe.

The company would be smart to keep Ambrose's momentum going, allowing him to get red-hot as he marches into WrestleMania.

As for Dolph Ziggler, his heel turn may have changed his fortunes. The Showoff broke out of a slump last Tuesday when he knocked off Kalisto.

Per CageMatch.net, Ziggler had been winless in his previous four bouts on the blue brand.

Ziggler embracing his dark side has rejuvenated him. And now, it's likely to have a similar effect on his win-loss record, too.

Royal Rumble Fallout

Thanks to the chaos surrounding The Wyatt Family, Orton won't have much time to celebrate his Royal Rumble win. As the WWE.com SmackDown preview put it, "He is going to have to step into the darkness to settle his family affairs."

Luke Harper has seemingly broken away from the group. He and Orton collided in the Royal Rumble match following weeks of tension and infighting between them.

Will Orton remain loyal to Bray Wyatt? Is the faction doomed to fully disintegrate?

These are the issues that will swirl around Orton en route to WrestleMania.

The SmackDown preview on WWE.com noted that Naomi and Becky Lynch will take on Alexa Bliss and Mickie James in tag team action. That follows a six-woman tag match at the Rumble PPV.

As it continues to use a number of moving parts from the women's division, WWE may be gearing up for a female Elimination Chamber match. It won't take long to find out if that's the direction this is going, or if Naomi's recent pinfall over Bliss will net her a one-on-one title opportunity.

SmackDown's other title pictures should get some attention on Tuesday night, too.

Ambrose's latest run-ins with Baron Corbin could be a hint of what's to come concerning the Intercontinental Championship, unless The Miz isn't done chasing the prize he has coveted for so long.

The SmackDown Tag Team Championship situation is less clear. American Alpha isn't involved in any feuds at the moment, and the blue brand's stock of heel teams is filled with duos that don't feel like viable challengers.

Someone is sure to step up soon, though. The Usos are the safest bet, especially since they have history with the champs. However, Breezango would be a compelling, out-of-left-field choice. 

Cena, meanwhile, only partially knows who he is set to go up against.

As McMahon announced before Royal Rumble, the WWE champ will defend his title inside the Elimination Chamber. John Clapp of WWE.com noted that Styles is already confirmed for that bout.

That leaves four other spots open. Expect WWE to fill those in a hurry as the countdown to the next PPV ticks away.