WWE SmackDown: Burning Questions to Address After May 16 Show

Will WWE SmackDown's dark horses stride past the finish line at Backlash 2017?

Sunday's pay-per-view will feature a number of underdogs and long shots in line for potential victories. Breezango can win the SmackDown Tag Team Championship at the event. Sami Zayn could knock off a bigger man in Baron Corbin. And Jinder Mahal, believe it or not, is a three-count away from taking home the WWE Championship.

Tuesday's SmackDown stirred up discussion about each of those Superstars' chances and what's ahead for them post-Backlash.

Will we see more Fashion Files segments should Breezango stumble? Is Zayn in line for another L? Would WWE be bold enough to take the Mahal push to the next level and actually give him the gold? 

The following is a look at those questions along with one about the state of Charlotte Flair's character after the blue brand capped off the build to the latest PPV.

Will Flair Remain a Babyface?

The Queen is chummy with Becky Lynch and Naomi now, but how long will that last?

After The Welcoming Committee pounced on Flair a few weeks back, she's been siding with the babyfaces on the roster. Her move away from the dark side, though, may be short-lived. 

On Tuesday's SmackDown, Flair turned her attention away from Natalya's crew for a moment to offer a word of warning to Naomi. She told the SmackDown women's champ she would come after the title once they were done with The Welcoming Committee. 

There was a touch of villainy in her voice there.

Is Flair going to revert back to heel status as soon as Backlash is done? Will she slowly revert back to her old self over time? Or will WWE stick it out with Flair as a face?

She's best suited for a heel role. Her last babyface run never felt right. And that's been the case with the early part of this turn as a fan favorite.

WWE likely realizes that and wants things to go back to the way they were, namely Flair killing it as a heartless egotist.

Does Zayn Have a Shot on Sunday?

Corbin beat down Zayn during a backstage interview on Tuesday night. The Lone Wolf told his Backlash foe that he needs to learn to stay down.

When they meet on the PPV, will Zayn follow Corbin's advice? Is he destined to fall to a star on the rise, just as he did to Braun Strowman on Raw?

The safe money is on Corbin. WWE has made little effort to build up Zayn. The Lone Wolf, meanwhile, is being treated like a star.

Zayn has piled on the losses of late, including defeats in all four of his matches since joining SmackDown, per CageMatch.net. He's likely to play the prey to Corbin's predator to help the big man climb the SmackDown ladder.

That's no lock, though.

When Corbin faced Dolph Ziggler at Payback 2016, it seemed certain the heel would win. WWE went for the surprising and perplexing route and had The Showoff win. Zayn could get the same treatment at Backlash, but that's not likely to happen.

The signs point to Corbin coming out on top.

Will Breezango Continue to be in the Spotlight, Win or Lose?

As Breezango has vaulted into the tag team title picture, WWE has made sure to spotlight them. The duo has mocked the roster's fashion sense in a series of Law & Order spoofs.

The Fashion Files segments have been an entertaining surprise. Breeze and Fandango have been allowed to show off their personalities. They've gone from non-factors to one of the best things the blue brand has going.

Is this just a means to make them look good before they clash with The Usos? If they fail to win the titles on Sunday, will they fade into the background again? And will The New Day's eventual arrival push Breezango aside?

Hopefully, not.

Breezango has been extremely fun to watch. Many, including the folks at the Tights and Fights podcast, want to see more of the pair's comedy act:

WWE has to find a way to continue to give Breezango airtime even if Fandango and The King of Cuteville aren't in the title hunt.

Will Mahal's Roll Stop at Backlash?

Mahal defeated AJ Styles on Tuesday's SmackDown. It's surreal to even type those words after Mahal's long tenure as a bottom-rung star.

Things are changing for him in a hurry, though. The Maharaja has now beaten Styles and Zayn, pinned WWE champ Randy Orton in a tag match and won a Six-Pack Challenge in April.

Does that momentum run dry at Backlash, or will WWE go all out and crown Mahal?  

WrestleView.com is among those hoping the WWE Championship changes hands at Sunday's PPV:

The most probable scenario is that Mahal plays a stopgap rival for Orton. Styles or even Shinsuke Nakamura make more sense as a contender come SummerSlam time. Mahal's out-of-nowhere run feels very much like R-Truth's brief rise ahead of Capitol Punishment in 2011.

It didn't last. And Mahal's likely won't either.

But no one would have predicted that either Breezango or Mahal would be in the positions they are right now, so fans can't be certain of anything when Backlash unfolds.