WWE SmackDown Preview: Fallout from Madison Square Garden (July 24, 2026)
Live from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California.
The fallout from Saturday Night's Main Event takes center stage this Friday night in the Bay Area. While WWE's official local preview keeps things characteristically lean on paper, the brewing tension between management and the locker room guarantees a chaotic night.
Just like every week, we’ve put together a full preview — including my predictions for Friday Night SmackDown live from the MVP Arena.
Featured Matches & Announced Lineups
Interim WWE Women’s Championship Ladder Match Qualifier: Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax
The Backstory: Nia is looking for payback after interference from Charlotte cost her against Jade Cargill, prompting management to slot them into this high-stakes qualifier.
Special Dark Match / Cross-Brand Attraction: The Usos vs. World Tag Team Champions Bron Breakker & Austin Theory (w/ Maxine Dupri)
What Else to Expect
-The Aldis & Gunther Explosion: SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis crossed a massive line at Saturday Night's Main Event by blasting GUNTHER right in the face with the Undisputed WWE Title to save Cody Rhodes from a brutal finish.
Expect The Ring General to demand answers—and retribution—from the GM right out of the gate.
The Star-Studded Slate: Heavily advertised for the live crowd are Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, Rhea Ripley, Trick Williams, Solo Sikoa, Jade Cargill, and Alexa Bliss.
SmackDown Predictions
Dark Match: The Usos defeats Bron Breakker and Austin Theory
Charlotte Flair defeats Nia Jax Post-Match Alexa Bliss returns from injury and turns heel and uses her own Fiend gimmick.
Backstage: Baron Corbin is interviewed on why he returned and Ricky Saints attacks Baron Corbin out of nowhere.
Non-Title Match: Carmelo Hayes defeats Trick Williams
Jacy Jayne defeats Kiana James
Main Event: R-Truth defeats The Miz Post-Match Danhausen curses The Miz again.
WWE SmackDown is one of WWE's flagship weekly programs, showcasing the biggest Superstars on the SmackDown brand in explosive matches, heated rivalries, intense promos, and major storyline advancements that shape the future of WWE.
SD airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network (in the US), with episodes also available on demand shortly after the live broadcast on Peacock (in the US) and on WWE Network or Netflix internationally (depending on the region).
