WWE SmackDown Preview (10/03/25): Start Time, Match Card, How to Watch & Live Stream

WWE Crown Jewel is a little over a week away as Friday Night SmackDown rolls into the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio tonight.

Cody Rhodes has the opportunity to win back-to-back Men's Crown Jewel Championships when he competes against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins next Saturday in Perth, Australia, but he has a very different challenge ahead of him later this evening.

The reigning WWE Champion has a chance to send a major message to The Visionary when he teams up with his old mentor, Randy Orton, to take on the dominant tag team of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.

Tiffany Stratton is still the WWE Women's Champion after she successfully defended her title last week against Nia Jax and Jade Cargill in a triple threat match, and now, she can turn her attention toward Stephanie Vaquer and Crown Jewel.

Fresh off her Women's World Title victory at WWE Wrestlepalooza, La Primera is out to prove she is the top champion in the women's division and she'll have to do it by beating the longest reigning title holder in all off WWE right now. Stratton will be in Cincinnati to address Vaquer tonight live on the USA Network.

Speaking of champions, Charlotte Flair is about to put 'The Queen' in Queen City as herself and Ohio native Alexa Bliss say they have some Women's Tag Team Title business to handle on this week's episode of SmackDown.

Headed to Cincinnati tonight… champ duties tomorrow @AlexaBliss_WWE #SmackDown 👑 WOOO😎 pic.twitter.com/pfxPQiB5MH
— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) October 2, 2025

It has also been announced that Sami Zayn will be issuing another open challenge for his Men's United States Championship and Damian Priest will be in action as well. Meantime, Jacob Fatu, Aleister Black, The Street Profits and Jade Cargill are all being advertised for the show.

Here's everything we currently know about Friday night's episode of SmackDown in Cincinnati. Check back for updates as more matches and segments are announced throughout the day.

Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed

Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed | WWE

Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed invaded Friday Night SmackDown last week in an attempt to soften up Cody Rhodes ahead of Crown Jewel. In a delicious taste of irony, The Vision did not foresee Randy Orton emerging to help out his longtime time friend and former pupil.

Raw GM Adam Pearce and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis have since worked out an arraignment to book this massive interpromotional tag team bout tonight in Cincinnati.

Sami Zayn Men's United States Championship Open Challenge

Sami Zayn has been on an absolute roll ever since he won the Men's United States Championship from Solo Sikoa. He's reinstituted the open challenge once made famous by John Cena, and has put on spectacular matches with the likes of NXT's Je'Von Evans, Carmelo Hayes, Rey Fenix and the Never Seen 17-Time World Champion himself. Zayn will be back at it again tonight.

Which Superstar will step up and try to win some gold?

Damian Priest Will Be In Action

If there is one thing that can be guaranteed about Friday night's show, it's that Damian Priest is going to be in a mood to fight. Aleister Black once again got the better of the former World Champion last week when he dropped him with a Black Mass kick backstage.

Whomever it is that draws the short straw against Priest had better be ready to defend themselves, because Damian will no doubt be looking to take out some of his frustrations on his opponent tonight.