Latest Rumors and Preview for Final WWE SmackDown Before Royal Rumble 2018

The race to the Royal Rumble pay-per-view is nearly complete, and Tuesday's WWE SmackDown marks the final pit stop.

The blue brand's Superstars will collide as WWE hypes Sunday's big show. Raw had to juggle celebrating its 25th anniversary with building for the marquee event, but SmackDown won't have that issue. It can be 100 percent zeroed in on the Rumble.

Washington, D.C., will host as AJ Styles faces off with his rivals once more before fighting them Sunday. One half of the SmackDown tag team champs will be in action. The new U.S. titleholder Bobby Roode is set to team up with The New Day.

These bouts will hopefully stir up bad blood before the PPV. A few matches may get added to Sunday's card in the process as well.

What else can fans expect? Backstage news, the SmackDown preview on WWE.com and storyline analysis help answer that before Tuesday's episode airs at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

News, Rumors

When Owens looks to antagonize Styles on Tuesday's SmackDown, he apparently won't be at full strength.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider reported, "Owens was again held off the SmackDown live events over the weekend due to an ongoing injury issue, which sources have stated is a back issue." Johnson added, though, that Owens is expected to be good to go for the Royal Rumble.

There's a good chance then that KO is limited to a speaking role on the go-home show.

Fans will be keeping a close eye on SmackDown general manager Daniel Bryan leading up to the PPV. Despite the fact that he's not medically cleared to compete, buzz continues to grow about him potentially entering and winning the Rumble.

That's in part because of WWE discussing that possibility. On a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said (h/t PopCulture.com), "I don't know what it is but clearly, someone had some sort of idea that involved Daniel Bryan winning the Royal Rumble."   

SmackDown Streaks

The U.S. title tournament was just what Roode needed. The Glorious One has been on a roll thanks to the event.

Roode defeated both Mojo Rawley and Jinder Mahal last Tuesday to capture the United States Championship. The victories marked his second and third straight, per CageMatch.net.

We will soon see, however, if Roode suffers the fate of many a midcard champ, namely losing a number of times in non-title action.

Naomi would be able to sympathize in that case. Wins have been hard to come by for her of late. 

She fell to The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag last week. That was only her second loss in a row, but she has gone 3-7 since dropping the SmackDown women's title, per CageMatch.net. The numbers are an indication that Naomi has slid down the blue brand ladder recently.

Last Leg of Royal Rumble Build

Roode and Mahal aren't done colliding now that the United States Championship Tournament is all wrapped up. The Glorious One will team up with The New Day to face Mahal and Rusev and Aiden English.

Credit: WWE.com

Both members of Rusev Day have officially entered the Royal Rumble. They will seek momentum ahead of that big match with a win Tuesday.   

We may get a clearer idea of how the U.S. title will play into the PPV depending on how things shake out with Roode and Mahal.

Naomi can get back on track ahead of the first women's Royal Rumble match. She is set to face Liv Morgan of The Riott Squad.

Last week, Morgan was the one who nailed Naomi with the decisive blow and got the pin for her team, and now, the former SmackDown women's champ will seek payback.

The SmackDown tag scene will get some spotlight too when Jey Uso faces Chad Gable. The Usos have collided with Gable and Shelton Benjamin a number of times recently. Last Tuesday, Gable and Benjamin ambushed the champs and laid them out backstage.

This one-on-one contest won't be a friendly mat wrestling exhibition as a result.

Other SmackDown stars are likely to declare themselves entrants for the Rumble match. Meanwhile, those who already have, like Shinsuke Nakamura and Randy Orton, are sure to show their faces in D.C. and promise a win Sunday.

As for the blue brand's main event scene, there is no segment or match advertised featuring Styles, Owens and Zayn, but one can bet that the animosity between the WWE champ and his two challengers will grow.   

To this point, Bryan and SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon have been prominent players in this drama. That's not likely to change. Bryan and McMahon's bickering promises to provide the backdrop for KO and Zayn's pursuit of Styles' crown.