WWE Makes Changes To Upcoming Raw And SmackDown Shows

WWE has made a swap for upcoming episodes of Raw and SmackDown.

It’s a busy stretch for the company, as it will hold Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend in Salt Lake City, Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29 at Petco Park in San Diego, and John Cena’s final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

There should be plenty of fallout from those three shows, and it could be the foundation for a huge start to the 2026 schedule.

Despite any speculation or rumors, on July 6, 2024 I announced I would retire from WWE in ring participation. I am far from perfect but strive to be a person whose word has value. 12/13/25 will be my final match. I am beyond grateful for every moment WWE has given me. I am… https://t.co/TnUPfuEfzx
— John Cena (@JohnCena) October 17, 2025

Speaking of that, WWE has made a shift in its original plans for two shows to kick off the new year.

WWE announced earlier this month a host of dates for upcoming events for its WWE Live Holiday Tour, including a January 2 episode of SmackDown at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and a January 5 episode of Raw at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

However, the locations for those tapings have now been swapped, as SmackDown on January 2 will be at the KeyBank Center, while Raw on January 5 will be at the Barclays Center.

Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Jacob Fatu, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, and Chelsea Green are featured on the promotional poster for the SmackDown show in Buffalo.

DATE CHANGE: WWE Monday Night RAW, which was slated to take place on Jan 5, is now set to be Friday Night SmackDown on Jan 2.

Get tickets: https://t.co/D742G3jv58 pic.twitter.com/xuOKVxF8qM
— KeyBank Center (@KeyBankCtr) October 29, 2025

PWInsider reports that fans who purchased tickets to either show can receive refunds at their point of purchase.

After these editions of SmackDown and Raw, WWE will begin its European tour, starting with the January 9 edition of SmackDown at the Uber Arena in Berlin.

Possible Storylines For The January WWE Raw and SmackDown Tapings

These shows will be part of what figures to be one of the most exciting periods of the yearly WWE slate.

The 2026 Royal Rumble is set for January 31 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the build to the show should feature plenty of twists and turns.

Early fan predictions for the Men’s Royal Rumble Match include a possible Sami Zayn win to propel him to capturing his first-ever World title at WrestleMania 42, with CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and others discussed as potential winners.

As for the Women’s Royal Rumble, a possible Liv Morgan return to score the victory could shake things up, but Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, and AJ Lee could also be realistic candidates.

There should be lots of star power on full display on both Raw and SmackDown entering WrestleMania 42 season.

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