5 things you need to know before tonight's WWE SmackDown Live (January 1st, 2019)

2018 is officially behind us and the past 12 months have been an extremely exciting time for SmackDown Live.

Over them, the WWE Universe saw the return and shocking betrayal of Daniel Bryan, Becky Lynch become the hottest commodity in wrestling, and Randy Orton punish his opponents with attacks that'll make anyone who like their earlobes wince in terror. .

But with 2019 now being here, the men and women of team blue are hoping to establish themselves in the coming months, with a huge opportunity to do just that at the Royal Rumble just weeks away.

2018 was truly a shocking year for WWE, one filled with ups and downs, but tonight the Superstars of SmackDown Live need to focus on surviving, with plenty of huge things already being promised.

Here are five things you absolutely need to know before the January 1st, 2019 episode of WWE SmackDown Live.

5: The Age of Rusev arrives

Rusev captured his third United States Championship last week, dethroning Shinsuke Nakamura.

Last week, on a very special Rusev Day (as it was also the Bulgarian's birthday and Christmas Day), Rusev defeated Shinsuke Nakamura to claim his third United States Championship.

Across 2018, Rusev proved himself to be one of SmackDown Live's most entertaining stars, so this win is more than justified.

But with 2018 now in the past, the question is how will Rusev's title-reign begin, though we're pretty confident that the Bulgarian and his ravishing wife Lana will be in a very good mood.

One person who certainly won't be in a good mood however, is the former champion, and since the King of Strong Style is guaranteed a rematch (or is he?), could we see a US Title match kick off SmackDown Live in 2019?

4: New Year, new month, New Day!

The New Day will be celebrating the new year in their own, unique way.

The most fun-loving team in WWE, possibly ever, The New Day are no strangers to being the life of the party.

But tonight, the former Tag Team Champions will throw a party of their own, to ring in the new year.

If you've been watching WWE for long enough, you'll know that parties rarely go well, with Kevin Owens being pied in the face during the 2016 Independence Day party.

Whilst the team of Kofi, Xavier, and Big E probably isn't hoping for a repeat of this fiasco, we can't exactly envision this party going off without a hitch.

The question now is, what will this New Year's celebration involve, and who will leave unscathed, and who will see their 2019 hopes and dreams shattered in a barrage of cream and crust?

3: What's next for the A-Lister and the 'Best In The World'?

A Christmas miracle, Shane McMahon agreed to team with The Miz on last week's show.

The teaming of Shane McMahon and The Miz may be one of the strangest pairings in WWE history.

But after the A-Lister got the blessing of Vince McMahon, the team has been formed, as the "co-besties" aim to become the best tag-team in the world.

And whilst they've had some success over local competitors, the duo's real test will come when they face off against established teams, such as the New Day, The Usos, or the current champions, The Bar.

Expect to see Shane and Miz team tonight, and it'll be interesting to see how these two larger than life athletes can possibly co-exist as a cohesive unit.

And whilst Shane may be busy, there's going to be another McMahon, who is anything but happy...

2: McMahon's fallout after Phenomenal attack

What will McMahon do after getting slapped by the Phenomenal One last week?

Ever since he was drafted to the brand in 2016, AJ Styles has aimed to make SmackDown Live the house that he built.

Impressing in matches for years, AJ's year-long reign as WWE Champion only proved this, before it all came crashing down at the hands of the new Daniel Bryan.

This loss has certainly taken its toll on Styles, who attacked the Chairman, Mr. McMahon last week, when goaded by the Boss.

Its a side of Styles very few have seen him show in WWE, though a reeling McMahon was left with a huge grin after unleashing this darker side of the Phenomenal One.

Now, with SmackDown just hours away, it will be interesting to see what both Styles and the Boss will say after such a shocking turn of events.

1: You Can See Me!

Is there a better way to celebrate the new year, than witnessing the return of one of SmackDown's biggest ever stars?

That's right, John Cena is back, and will appear on tonight's edition of SmackDown Live.

Cena, who hasn't been seen in WWE in months, has been off promoting his new film Bumblebee, a prequel of the Transformers, telling the origins of the iconic Volkswagon Beetle.

We're sure that battling giant robots has kept the 16-time World Champion in shape, though there's no telling what will happen when the former champion appears.

With the Royal Rumble just a few weeks away, could Cena be announcing his placement into the iconic 30-man match?

If so, it would give him a huge opportunity, to tie Stone Cold for three Royal Rumble wins, just one year after tying World championship reigns with Ric Flair.