WWE SmackDown Preview (9/12/25): Start Time, Match Card, How to Watch & Live Stream

It’s a huge edition of WWE SmackDown at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.

After destroying both John Cena and Sami Zayn during their United States Title Open Challenge Match a week ago, Brock Lesnar will return to SmackDown ahead of his showdown with Cena at WWE Wrestlepalooza on September 20.

Lesnar hasn’t said much of anything since his shocking return at SummerSlam last month, but it’s clear that he has his sights set on spoiling the retirement party for one of his biggest WWE rivals.

There is a long history between the two top superstars, who have had six televised singles matches against each other in their WWE careers. Their most recent singles match was in 2014, but they did compete in a Triple Threat Match with Seth Rollins at the 2015 Royal Rumble.

What will ‘The Beast’ have to say about their match at Wrestlepalooza?

Speaking of longtime rivals, Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton will once again step in the ring with the goal of gaining the upper hand in the feud.

McIntyre destroyed Cody Rhodes with a vicious Claymore through the announce table on the August 8 edition of SmackDown, and the WWE Champion has been sidelined since then.

Meanwhile, Orton has come after McIntyre for the attack on his friend, and this figures to be another aggressive clash between two superstars who don’t like each other.

Will a McIntyre victory all but guarantee a match with Rhodes for WWE’s biggest prize?

Elsewhere, it’s a SummerSlam rematch as Tiffany Stratton defends the WWE Women’s Championship against Jade Cargill. Stratton retained the title at the summer extravaganza, but Cargill is back in the No. 1 contender’s spot with another opportunity to win singles gold for the first time in her WWE career.

Other potential storylines on SmackDown could include the tension between Carmelo Hayes and The Miz after Carmelo returned to NXT this week to reunite with Trick Williams, the ongoing drama in the men’s tag team division, and more.

Here is everything we know about tonight's episode of SmackDown.

Brock Lesnar appears

Lesnar lets his actions do the talking for him, and it’s hard to imagine that he’ll have a lot to say about his upcoming match with Cena. But if it isn’t Cena who steps up to Lesnar before Wrestlepalooza, it could be Zayn. It seems unlikely that Lesnar will be the next person to accept the open challenge for the United States Championship, but that doesn’t mean Zayn will back down from a fight.

Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton

This marks the third singles match between the two rivals this year. McIntyre defeated Orton on the March 28 episode of SmackDown in London, but Orton evened the score with a win at Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12. Of course, they also faced off in a tag team match at SummerSlam, where McIntyre and Logan Paul notched the victory against Orton and the debuting Jelly Roll.

Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton (c) for the WWE Women’s Championship

Cargill has accomplished a lot in her first two years in WWE thus far. However, she is still searching for that elusive singles title. With Stratton already posting a win at SummerSlam, Cargill could be more motivated than ever to earn some payback and walk out with the gold. If so, is there a storm coming for the WWE women’s division?