Can The Viper strike in round two?

Daniel Bryan goes one-on-one with WWE World Champion Randy Orton in the main event of Raw.

On Raw, Stephanie McMahon announced that WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton will face each of his Elimination Chamber Match opponents in the weeks leading up to the World Title showdown on Feb. 23. After  losing to Daniel Bryan in Monday’s main event battle, The Viper goes head-to-head with Christian tonight on SmackDown!

Certainly, Captain Charisma has looked impressive since returning to the WWE roster, lighting a white-hot fire as he embarks on this latest journey to capture title gold. It is also worth mentioning that he and Orton already have a long and storied history, indicating that their renewed rivalry will surely create an intense Friday night contest.

Can WWE’s Apex Predator regain momentum as Elimination Chamber approaches? Or will Orton suffer another key loss to an Elimination Chamber Match opponent? Find out tonight at 8/7 CT, only on Syfy!

Will Bryan take aim at The Authority?

Daniel Bryan wants to be in the Elimination Chamber Match at the upcoming pay-per-view on Feb. 23.

Speaking of Randy Orton’s showdown against Daniel Brian, The Beard’s  massive pinfall victory over the WWE World Heavyweight Champion Monday on Raw  seemed to set him up  to become the “New Face of WWE.” But that was not meant to be, as evidenced by the post-match assault on the victorious Superstar by both The Viper and Director of Operations Kane.

Photos: The Many Faces of Kane

With many speculating that  Corporate Kane may have been acting on behalf of The Authority, the odds of Bryan becoming the new favored Superstar of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon seem slim-to-none.

Regardless, Bryan has made a career of overcoming the odds, and the submission specialist is sure to come to SmackDown with pointed words for Orton, Kane, The Game and Stephanie. What, exactly, will The Beard have to say? And what actions might he take?

Seriously, what’s going on with The Shield?

The trio of Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston & Intercontinental Champion Big E. Langston face The Shield on Raw.

After United States Champion  Dean Ambrose tagged himself into Monday night’s Six-Man Tag Team Match against Rey Mysterio, Big E Langston & Kofi Kingston, he “stole” the pinfall from teammate Roman Reigns. When the bell sounded, The Shield’s enforcer looked none too pleased with Ambrose.

At this point, you can add that transgression to a growing list of inter-faction squabbles amongst the black-clad trio. And with their impending battle against The Wyatt Family at Elimination Chamber looming large, it’s impossible not to wonder about the strength of The Hounds of Justice.

Can Ambrose, Reigns & Seth Rollins get it together on the blue brand tonight? Or will we witness yet another crack forming in the foundation of WWE’s most dominant stable? Find out tonight at 8/7 CT, only on Syfy!

Has Alberto Del Rio bitten off more than he can chew?

Batista and Alberto Del Rio engage in a war of words on Raw.

WWE COO Triple H made it official Wednesday in a sit-down interview with Michael Cole on WWE.com: At Elimination Chamber, No. 1 contender Batista will square off against Alberto Del Rio.

After weeks of calling out The Animal, Del Rio was seemingly silenced when, during the Royal Rumble Match, Batista dumped the haughty Superstar over the top rope. But, true to his nature, Del Rio wasn’t yet done instigating a rivalry with the eventual Royal Rumble Match winner. Now that their one-on-one battle is official, is Del Rio officially in over his head?

Sure, he’s won every major title in WWE, but can the aristocratic grappler compete with the sheer strength and raw power of The Animal? If he has any hopes to hang with Batista at Elimination Chamber, Del Rio needs to pick up some steam heading into the pay-per-view. Will tonight be the night Del Rio gets a jumpstart?

Can Nikki Bella reassert herself in the Divas Title picture?

The Bella Twins & The Funkadactyls team together to face Divas Champion AJ Lee, Tamina Snuka, Alicia Fox & Aksana on Raw.

AJ Lee may have a vise grip on the Divas Title over the course of her record-breaking reign, but it seems like another Diva steps up as a bonafide threat on a weekly basis. With Naomi’s increasingly impressive in-ring abilities on full display of late, though, has “ Total Diva” Nikki Bella been cast aside in the Divas Title picture?

If so, can she reassert her dominance in the division with a win over AJ in a non-title bout on the blue brand? Find out tonight on SmackDown!