WWE SmackDown Live Preview: August 08, 2017
While the headlining acts on WWE SummerSlam - at least on paper - seem to be stemming from the Red side of things, SmackDown Live's contribution towards the mega event cannot be understated.
Also follow: WWE SmackDown Results, August 8th, 2017 Live Commentary and Updates
As Kevin Owens and AJ Styles prepare to do battle for the US Championship on the pay-per-view, Shane McMahon takes centre stage this week to make all of their roles clear; the two men as opponents and his own, as the special referee.
Meanwhile, Randy Orton gets a chance to avenge his losses to Jinder Mahal when he takes on the WWE Champion in a non-Title singles match up. However, will their respective SummerSlam opponents, Rusev for Orton and Nakamura for Mahal, also have something to say?
And what of the SmackDown Live Women's Champion, Naomi? She has a date with Natalya at SummerSlam but will be crossing paths again with Carmella this week.
Will her encounter with Ms.Money in the Bank prove to be foreshadowing of what is to come in the near future?
Combing through all of these storylines and more, here is our preview of this week's episode of SmackDown Live.
A giant challenge?
After beating John Cena clean, Shinsuke Nakamura's stock has sky rocketed overnight, and the Japanese Superstar finds himself on the cusp of winning the WWE Title when he faces Jinder Mahal at WWE SummerSlam.
But will he be able to get to the event unscathed?
Jinder Mahal and his cronies have a nasty habit of ganging up on his opponents and stacking the deck against them, as Randy Orton knows only too well.
Will Shinsuke Nakamura be meted out the same treatment in the lead up to SummerSlam? Or will the King of Strong Style fight out of this predicament in his trademark hard-hitting manner?
It's one thing if he has to face Jinder and the Singh brothers...but what if Great Khali shows up again?