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WWE SmackDown Live Preview: Champion relays ominous warning; nations get ready to collide

The Punjabi Prison arrives

WWE SmackDown Live Results, July 17th 2017, Live Updates

The WWE Universe is going dizzy with the announcement on Raw that Jason Jordan is Kurt Angle’s long lost son, and it’s understandable that some of the attention may be drawn away from the Blue brand’s big day this Sunday.

But WWE Battleground is almost upon us, with only a solitary episode of SmackDown Live standing between us and the pay-per-view.

Jinder Mahal faces Randy Orton at the event in a Punjabi Prison match for the WWE Championship but will bring the demonic structure to the Legacy Arena in Birmingham in the hope of giving the Viper a taste of what he will face over the weekend.

Kevin Owens, meanwhile, is on a quest to regain the US Championship that AJ Styles wrested from him at Madison Square Garden a couple of weeks back. But before he gets that opportunity at Battleground, he has to team with Baron Corbin to take on the duo of Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.

Will Owens and Corbin maim their respective opponents before Battleground? Or will Styles and Nakamura make a statement heading into the pay-per-view?

And what of John Cena’s heated rivalry against Rusev? After Rusev locked on the Accolade last week, is it Cena’s turn to retaliate? Or will Rusev, energised by his new Avatar and a refuelled chip on his shoulder, maintain his momentum heading into their Flag match this weekend?

Running through all these storyline developments and more, here is our weekly preview of SmackDown Live.


The true power of ‘love’

Maria and Mike are more then meet the eye

Maria and Mike Kanellis (note the order) definitely piqued the interest of the WWE Universe when they arrived on the scene professing the power of love. But the vicious attack on Sami Zayn last week has truly alerted their competition to their potential.

After Maria slapped Zayn, Mike broke a flower vase over his back, sending a loud message to the Underdog from the Underground that both of them possess a belligerent mean streak beneath their lovey-dovey exterior. 

Mike Kanellis and Sami Zayn are set to face off in what will be Mike’s WWE debut. Will the 15-year veteran make an impact on his debut?

Will the couple continue piling on Sami Zayn this week too? Or is it Sami’s turn to exact a measure of retribution?

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