WWE SmackDown: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for May 23

The Jinder Mahal era will kick off on Tuesday's WWE SmackDown.

After his stunning win on Sunday's Backlash pay-per-view, The Maharaja is now WWE champion. He will step onto the SmackDown stage with the gold he plucked from Randy Orton's hands, and the world will be watching to see if he can carry the weight of that crown.

Mahal plans to celebrate his victory in style. And Toledo, Ohio, fans will get to see that the festivities up close.

Elsewhere on the show, an absentee act may return to the ring, contenders will position themselves for title opportunities and The Welcoming Committee will look to continue its roll.

Backstage news, social media updates and the SmackDown preview on WWE.com provide an early look at what to expect when the blue brand takes over the Huntington Center. Tuesday's show will air at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

News, Potential Spoilers

The blue brand's tag team division is set to get a major boost. Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported: "Former WWE tag team champions The New Day will be returning to television this week."

Kofi Kingston has been dealing with an ankle injury. He, Xavier Woods and Big E have not appeared on SmackDown since moving to the show during the Superstar Shake-up.

It may not take long for the trio to go after the tag team titles, either. According to Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc), The New Day looks to be in line to face The Usos. If that's the case, Breezango may soon drop out of the championship picture. 

Mahal's goons appear to be fine even after Orton flung them onto the announce desk on Sunday night. The Viper tossed them both quite violently, leading to speculation about possible injuries.

The Singh Brothers, though, provided a positive update on Twitter:

Orton likely won't be getting his rematch against Mahal on Tuesday. He's poised to be a part of a triple main event next month.

WWE announced on its official website that the June 13 SmackDown will feature Orton vs. Mahal, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler, and Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles. 

SmackDown Streaks

Naomi may have to worry about someone other than Charlotte Flair coming after her gold. Carmella is charging hard toward title contention.

Per CageMatch.net, The Princess of Staten Island is 3-0 in her last three bouts, including two in a row on SmackDown and a singles victory over Naomi.

Those results and the frequent mentions of Carmella pinning the champ is likely a push toward a Carmella vs. Naomi matchup in the near future. 

Baron Corbin, meanwhile, is going the opposite direction. 

The Lone Wolf has struggled to score victories of late. As seen on his CageMatch.net profile, Corbin has lost four consecutive one-on-one bouts. In the last 10 contests of that kind, he's only 2-7-1.

It seemed only recently like WWE was grooming him for a main event run, but that appears to be on hold.

Backlash Fallout

The Welcoming Committee versus SmackDown's babyfaces will continue on Tuesday.

Natalya's posse took down Flair, Becky Lynch and Naomi at Backlash. They will soon have the chance to follow that with another win.

Per the SmackDown preview on WWE.com, Flair and Lynch will take on Natalya and Carmella. 

Credit: WWE.com

Naomi, Tamina and James Ellsworth promise to be near the action. Chaos will be moments away.

Tuesday's SmackDown should shed some light on the championship pictures for the United States and tag team titles. Breezango failed to dethrone The Usos at Backlash. Styles couldn't topple Owens.

Will these contenders get another chance or will new faces step up?

If The New Day arrives, Breezango is in danger of falling out of the title hunt. As for Styles, the way he lost on Sunday suggests his story with KO is far from over. The Phenomenal One couldn't get back into the ring after his foot became trapped in the announce desk.

And the blue brand will offer a look ahead at the next PPV.

The WWE.com SmackDown preview stated: "SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon will be making a major announcement regarding Money in the Bank tonight." That could very well involve Rusev, who has been demanding a title shot at that June 18 event for weeks.

The focus of Tuesday's show, however, is likely to be Mahal basking in his title victory.

The Maharaja is scheduled to put on a "Punjabi celebration." What that means exactly is unclear, but WWE.com hinted at it being extravagant: "You can be sure that Mahal will spare no expense in celebrating his historic achievement."

Amid all the confetti and fanfare sure to be a part of that moment, one can bet on Orton showing up, ready to put an end to it all by way of an RKO.

It's now Mahal's time to prove WWE made the right choice in crowning him. His rise has been a heavily debated move and the champ can quiet his detractors with a memorable reign.