WWE SmackDown Live Preview: September 12, 2017

Last week's episode of SmackDown Live left the WWE Universe hanging with a plethora of unanswered yet pertinent questions.

What will be the fate of Shane McMahon after being indefinitely suspended following his feral attack on Kevin Owens? Will SmackDown Live become the Kevin Owens Show in his absence?

And most importantly, what will a returning Vince McMahon have to say about it all?

It's easy to be distracted by how this storyline will develop and completely forget about the three title matches that will also be on display.

AJ Styles defends his US Championship against Tye Dillinger, Naomi gets her SmackDown Live Women's Championship rematch against Natalya and the Usos put their Tag Titles on the line against arch nemeses New Day, in a Sin City street fight.

Looking forward to all of these developments and more, here is our preview of this week's episode of SmackDown Live!

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The Kevin Owens show

Is Kevin Owens in line for a shocking promotion?

Having suspended Shane McMahon indefinitely, who will Vince McMahon hand over the reins of the Blue Brand to?

Will we see another former Superstar return and fill the void, much like Kurt Angle on Raw, or is this an opportunity for a more contemporary approach?

Kevin Owens has made no bones in hiding his desire to turn SmackDown Live into the Kevin Owens show.

With Vince McMahon also scheduled to appear this week, could this be the best chance for the Prize Fighter to convince the Boss to actually let him have a shot?

For one, we've seen weirder things happen in the WWE in the past.

And Commissioner Kevin Owens has quite a ring to it, doesn't it?

Shane afforded an opportunity?

Will this lead to a match between Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens?

Shane McMahon lost his cool and put his hands on Kevin Owens...but only after the Canadian hit below the belt, bringing up Shane's children repeatedly despite being warned not to.

Although it was unprofessional on Shane's part to resort to violence, the circumstances are as mitigating as they can get.

Kevin Owens didn't just bring up Shane McMahon's children in an offhand manner, he also brought up Vince McMahon's grandchildren, something the Boss may hold him answerable for when he appears on SmackDown Live this week.

And despite already suspending Shane, don't be surprised if Vince gives him another opportunity to salvage his job by booking a match between him and Kevin Owens after all.

AJ Styles gets the US Title Open Challenge rolling

AJ Styles, a man of his word, gives Tye Dillinger a crack at the US Championship

Tye Dillinger has never really been caught his break on the main roster after being called up from NXT...but all that may change when he takes on AJ Styles for the US Championship.

Ever since wresting the Belt from Kevin Owens, Styles has been eager to get the US Championship Open Challenge going again.

And with Dillinger itching for an opportunity to prove his worth as a value addition to SmackDown Live, this could be a win-win scenario for both the wrestlers and the fans, who get to see a great match.

Only, I'm pretty certain that Baron Corbin has every intention of playing party pooper.

Will Natalya show Hart?

Naomi gets her rematch...but will the result be any different?

Natalya shocked the world when she won the SmackDown Live Women's Title at SummerSlam, defeating former Champion Naomi and leaving her in tears in the middle of the ring.

After taking a few weeks to regroup, Naomi is back in the picture as she faces the Queen of Harts for a Title rematch this week.

Will Naomi be able to win back the SmackDown Live Women's Championship? Or having captured Gold for the first time in 6 years, will Natalya somehow manage to keep it in her possession?

While both of them plot their paths to victory, Carmella bides her time on the sidelines...waiting to pounce on the first opportunity to cash in her Money in the Bank suitcase.

A brutal encounter in the offing

When push comes to shove, which team will have more fight in them?

The Usos seem to have worked up quite a bit of momentum after their victory against the New Day at SummerSlam, following it up with another win that gave them the right to choose the stipulation for when the teams clash again in the rematch.

And in homage to the fight capital of the world, they chose to meet the New Day in a Sin City Streetfight where anything goes and the winners will likely be the team that is able to absorb punishment as well as they can dish it out.

On paper, the Usos seem to be better equipped to win the fight but with the Power of Positivity on their side, you can never really write off the New Day.

Will the twins induct the happy-go-lucky former Champions into the Uso Penitentiary? Or will the New Day rise to the occasion once again and prove just why they hold the record for the longest Tag Team Title reign of all time?

Tune in to this week's episode of SmackDown Live to find out!

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