WWE SmackDown: Burning Questions to Address After July 25 Show

SmackDown more than made up for its universally-panned WWE Battleground pay-per-view on Tuesday night, offering fans a huge show that built multiple storylines heading into SummerSlam while delivering great action inside the ring. 

We know WWE Champion Jinder Mahal will either face John Cena or Shinsuke Nakamura at SummerSlam. We know Kevin Owens and new WWE United States champ AJ Styles will once again battle for that title next week. We know Naomi and Natalya will face off for the SmackDown Women's Championship in Brooklyn, New York, as well. 

There are, however, unanswered questions, including new wrinkles that presented themselves following Tuesday's show. What are the biggest questions for the Blue Brand on the Road to SummerSlam? 

Is Chris Jericho Back For Good? If So, What's Next?

Chris Jericho's stunning return to WWE was a closely guarded secret, as evidenced by the pop he received and the genuine shock on social media.

Inserting him into the U.S. title scene immediately made sense, since he technically had a rematch clause after dropping the belt to Owens at WWE Payback. 

But after he failed in his attempt to reclaim the gold, where does that leave Jericho? Was this a one-off appearance, or is The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla' back for another extended tour with WWE?

Following SmackDown, Jericho hinted on Twitter that he's not done:

Jericho will need a new foil if he's back for a SummerSlam run, and by the looks of things, he's going to be a face in his next program. Most of the SmackDown roster is without dance partners for The Biggest Party of the Summer, so anyone from Baron Corbin to Mike Kanellis to Rusev could be next on Jericho's list. 

How Does WWE Book Nakamura Against Cena?

Speculation since the beginning of the summer has been that Cena has been in line to challenge Mahal at SummerSlam, as noted by Sportskeeda's Billi Bhatti among others. It makes sense, as Bleacher Report's Ryan Dilbert has written, considering Cena's patriotic tone since his return on July 4. 

But Tuesday's announcement that Cena will have to go through Nakamura next week on SmackDown for a chance to claim his record-breaking 17th WWE world title was startling, to say the least.

Many were shocked by the decision to book the match for TV:

Now the speculation can begin on how WWE books this match. Does either man go over cleanly? Does Baron Corbin, who's feuded with Nakamura in recent weeks, cost The King of Strong Style an opportunity at the WWE Championship?

If Nakamura loses, how does that affect his standing on the roster's pecking order moving forward? Does he move into a feud with AJ Styles, as was hinted two weeks ago on SmackDown? Does he continue to feud with Corbin?

And should Cena lose, what do his SummerSlam plans look like? Does he battle someone on the SmackDown roster, or would WWE use his "free agent" status to create a new matchup against someone from Raw?

We'll get more answers next week.        

What Is WWE's Plan For Mike Kanellis?

Three matches into his WWE run, Mike Kanellis sits with a losing record. The Power of Love gimmick he and wife Maria are working on hasn't caught on with fans.  

Needless to say, Kanellis needs something to spark interest in his character—tag team matches with Aiden English won't cut it. 

For Kanellis' gimmick to work, he needs to display a mean streak like he did against Zayn when he smashed a vase on his head. Playing the role of a guy annoyed that he's being interrupted from kissing his wife won't be enough to get him over as a true heel. 

He needs to jumpstart a character shift. A feud with Zayn could've worked, but with multiple losses to The Underdog from the Underground already, that ship seems to have sailed. Now, Kanellis is just as directionless as any other midcarder on the roster biding their time. 

Is Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon Going Down at SummerSlam?

Shane McMahon has somehow played a major role in most major pay-per-views since his return to WWE last year. He featured in WrestleMania 32 against The Undertaker. At SummerSlam 2016, he was F5'd by Brock Lesnar. He joined Team SmackDown at Survivor Series last year then followed it up by having a match with Styles at WrestleMania 33. 

It appears WWE might be heading down the path of inserting Shane into another major storyline on The Road to SummerSlam. 

Following his decision to book a Triple Threat Match for the U.S. Title on Tuesday night, then-champ Kevin Owens got heated with the commissioner, going so far to say he "wouldn't give a damn" about McMahon if not for his position in the company. 

It's a similar setup to how McMahon-Styles kicked off their feud, which set the wheels in motion for what became a better-than-expected WrestleMania match. 

Should Owens lose his rematch against Styles next week, it wouldn't be hard to believe WWE moves ahead with an angle that Owens blames McMahon for the loss. Such a drama could turn into a physical altercation, leading to a SummerSlam match.