Who will survive the Gauntlet?

It's tag team chaos between six men that will compete in the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match at WrestleMania.

Tonight on SmackDown on Syfy, an Intercontinental Contenders’ Gauntlet Match will surely offer an explosive prelude to the free-for-all that awaits at WrestleMania 31’s Intercontinental Title Ladder Match. With all six of Bad News Barrett’s No. 1 contenders scheduled to be part of the insanity, two Superstars will begin the contest. When one loses, another competitor will take his place and so on, until only one grappler stands tall in victory.

For weeks now, the WWE Universe has been clamoring to know whether the Ladder Match at The Showcase of the Immortals will indeed steal the show. With so much hype surrounding that contest, one has to wonder just how brutal the preview match for momentum will be on Thursday night’s hottest show. Will the six Intercontinental Championship challengers even make it to WrestleMania? And what influence, if any, will the reigning titleholder have on the outcome of the contest when all is said and done?

Will SmackDown suffer the wreckage of Reigns?

The Big Dog defends his family and has some strong words for Brock Lesnar's advocate.

The WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match at WrestleMania is coming up fast on the horizon. And as the shadow of the brutally dominant titleholder Brock Lesnar looms large over all of WWE, his No. 1 contender Roman Reigns continues to amass respect by knocking down anybody and anything that gets in his way.

Exclusive interview with Brock Lesnar

It’s under those volatile circumstances that The Big Dog is scheduled to kick off this week’s SmackDown. After Spearing Mark Henry through the ringside barrier one week ago and fearlessly addressing The Beast Incarnate directly on Raw, what will the black-clad powerhouse do or say next? Will Lesnar or his outspoken advocate Paul Heyman opt to join the party? Or will someone else dare to step in his path? Whatever happens, one thing is for certain: Havoc is probable whenever Roman Reigns steps onto the scene. 

Can The Authority suppress Orton’s serpentine storm?

The Viper repels an Authority attack.

After accepting Randy Orton's challenge for a match at WrestleMania on Monday's Raw, “Mr. Money in the Bank” Seth Rollins and The Authority nearly took out The Viper in the final moments of WWE’s flagship show. But thanks to the emergence of “The Vigilante” Sting, The Authority was sent packing in humiliating fashion.

As The Road to WrestleMania rages on, look for Orton to turn up the heat with a series of serpentine mind games or even another assault, all aimed at discombobulating the “Future of WWE” and his associates. Does the calculating Rollins have another plan in place to counter his Show of Shows nemesis? Could Sting come to the blue brand for the very first time? And with so much pressure mounted upon them, will the forces of The Authority be able to work together to overcome their massive opposition?

Which Diva will you give a chance?

AJ Lee takes on the Divas Champion less than two weeks before WrestleMania 31.

At WrestleMania, Divas Champion Nikki Bella and her sister Brie will battle AJ Lee & Paige. With that pending showdown drawing closer, the Divas locker room is reportedly beginning to take sides. While some are backing The Bella Twins, others are choosing to put their support behind the alternative choice of the most unpredictable femme fatales that the squared circle has ever seen. With Monday’s match between Nikki and AJ only serving to increase the intensity and #givedivasachance in full swing, Brie and Paige will square off tonight on SmackDown. With their respective partner close by, is there any doubt that this match is headed for all out chaos?

Which tag team will step into the limelight?

Kofi Kingston & Big E battle the WWE Tag Team Champions.

Ten days remain until WrestleMania 31. And for all the splendor, special events and epic matches already in the works, one thing remains: the unknown. Case in point, no one knows what will happen with the tag team division. With so many combinations clamoring for a chance at Cesaro & Tyson Kidd’s titles, who will end up being their No. 1 contenders at The Showcase of the Immortals. Will there even be a tag team title match? Maybe the answer will come tonight in SmackDown’s first-ever 6-Being Interspecies Match (yes, that’s what we said), pitting Los Matadores & El Torito against WWE Tag Team Champions Cesaro, Tyson Kidd & Natalya.