WWE SmackDown: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for May 16

Ahead of Backlash, WWE SmackDown's warriors will collide in fresh matchups.

AJ Styles will take on Jinder Mahal before both men challenge for championships at Sunday's pay-per-view. Randy Orton will cross paths with Baron Corbin as a certain underdog looms.

Tuesday marks WWE's last chance to put together the Backlash card and hype the contests that comprise it.

That process will see Natalya's posse do some paperwork live on air, Kevin Owens antagonize his enemies and surely Mahal take another swipe at Orton. Who will show up to the Manchester, New Hampshire, show? What's brewing en route to Backlash? 

The SmackDown preview on WWE.com, backstage news and storyline analysis provide the answers ahead of Tuesday's SmackDown at 8 p.m. ET.

News, Potential Spoilers

Charlotte Flair's character remains in transition.

After Natalya and her crew attacked her weeks ago, she seemed to ditch her villain gimmick. Not so fast.

Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Bill Pritchard of Wrestle Zone) that WWE is reconsidering the decision to turn Flair babyface.

That would explain the recent heel-like tone to her interviews despite her playing the face role. WWE may not commit to Flair being a fan favorite in the coming weeks, allowing it to more easily turn her back after this current feud with Natalya, Tamina and Carmella.

When The Bulgarian Brute returns to the blue brand, he may do so as a solo act. According to PWInsider (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), Rusev will return to SmackDown without Lana by his side.

The Ravishing Russian has been working NXT shows as a wrestler of late. And WWE has aired vignettes introducing a new dancing gimmick for her. 

And don't expect John Cena to be around when Rusev rolls back into town. His hiatus isn't set to end until the summer.

Wrestling Inc's Raj Giri noted, "Cena is advertised for the July 4th SmackDown Live show. It is currently the only upcoming WWE event that Cena is advertised for."

SmackDown Streaks

The Maharajah's push is in full force.

After serving as a bottom-feeder for so long, Mahal is suddenly familiar with the taste of victory. Last Tuesday, he pinned Orton in a six-man tag team match to close the show. Per CageMatch.net, Mahal has now won three consecutive SmackDown matches.

Should WWE keep this pace up with Mahal, it can eventually change the audience's perception of him.

Aiden English is on the other end of the spectrum. His contribution to the show has been to lose then get emotional about it afterward. And he has had plenty to cry about lately.

As seen on CageMatch.net, The Artiste has lost four matches in a row and is 0-4 in his last four one-on-one bouts. Even a win over James Ellsworth at this point would be big news for English.

Home Stretch of Backlash Build

In a battle of No. 1 contenders, Mahal will face Styles ahead of Backlash. Mahal is gearing up for a showdown with Orton for the WWE Championship. Styles has a date with Owens for the United States title.

The Phenomenal One and The Maharajah have no history between them to speak of.

The clash will be intriguing regardless thanks to Mahal going up against WWE's top in-ring performer. If the heel can't produce against Styles, the company has to curb its expectations with him. On the other hand, this is a huge opportunity for Mahal to put something memorable on his resume.

Rusev promises to be the in the building, clamoring for a title shot.

He has been calling out the blue brand's commissioner Shane McMahon in taped interviews. On the show's most recent episode, he declared he would storm into SmackDown to make his latest demand.

That may not lead to anything until the Money in the Bank PPV, though, thanks to Rusev's lingering shoulder issues.

The women's division, meanwhile, will be on full display at Backlash. Last week, WWE announced that Naomi, Flair and Becky Lynch would face Natalya, Tamina and Carmella in tag team action. 

Tuesday night will see them all put pen to paper to confirm the bout. WWE.com's SmackDown preview noted, "All six Superstars will be in the ring on SmackDown LIVE to make the match official during the first-ever contract signing of its kind."

There should be extra tension between the groups after Natalya cheated to beat Lynch last week.

Before Owens takes on Styles on Sunday, he'll apparently take some jabs at his former best friend. KO will be hosting a segment that previously belonged to Chris Jericho.

The WWE.com preview explained, "The New Face of America will be taking over the reins from Jericho, leading many to wonder what other changes are in store for one of WWE's most colorful talk shows."

And while Mahal tries to use Styles as a warm-up before Backlash, Orton will look to do the same against Corbin.

Credit: WWE.com

This will be a fun one. Corbin has looked strong in the ring of late, and his strike-heavy style should lead to quite the physical encounter.

The Lone Wolf's bad blood with Sami Zayn could come into play, too. 

Corbin has ambushed and assaulted the former NXT champ for weeks. It's about time for Zayn to get some payback. Plus, a Zayn-Corbin clash is not yet official for Backlash, and WWE is running out of time to cram it on the card.