WWE SmackDown Preview (8/8/25): Start Time, Match Card, How to Watch & Live Stream

SummerSlam may be in the books, but the party never stops for WWE. The road to Clash in Paris continues Friday night as SmackDown goes live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Québec, Canada.
John Cena is no longer the WWE Champion after Sunday night's instant classic Street Fight against Cody Rhodes, but the Greatest of All Time has an even bigger problem to concern himself with and his name is Brock Lesnar.
The Beast made his shocking return to WWE at SummerSlam and dropped the Never Seen 17-Time World Champion with a thunderous F-5.

After two years away from the company, why did Lesnar come back? And why did he attack his old rival with just a dozen dates left in his Hall of Fame career? Is he here to to stay or did Lesnar return simply to be the one to retire John Cena? Will he be in Montreal tonight?
The answers to these questions remain a mystery, but John Cena will be at the Bell Centre one final time this evening to address the absolutely stunning conclusion to this year's SummerSlam.
One the other side of the main event coin, Cody Rhodes will return to SmackDown as the now two-time Undisputed WWE Champion.
The American Nightmare went through absolute Hell to get back everything he lost at WrestleMania 41. Now that he has it all for the second time in his career, who will be the first man to step up to try and take it from him again?
Tiffany Stratton is still the WWE Women's Champion after she defeated Jade Cargill Saturday night at SummerSlam. The victory was just the latest impressive accolade during her first ever run as Women's Champion. If Charlotte Flair, Trish Stratus, Nia Jax and the reigning Queen of the Ring couldn't put an end to Tiffy Time, is their any woman on the SmackDown roster who can?
The events of SummerSlam did not unfold the way Randy Orton or Jacob Fatu had intended, but both men may have a chance to take care of their unfinished business as The Viper and Samoan Werewolf are being advertised for tonight's show. As is LA Knight, just days after CM Punk crashed his World Heavyweight Championship Match against Seth Rollins on Raw.
There are currently no matches scheduled for the show. Here's everything we do know about tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown. Check back for updates as additions to the card are announced throughout the day.
Where to watch WWE SmackDown Tonight:
TV Channel: USA Network
Streaming: Fubo TV, Peacock, YouTube TV, DirecTV, Hulu+ Live TV
WWE SmackDown Time:
Time: 8 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. CST
WWE SmackDown Location:
Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Québec, Canada
WWE Smackdown Card (Announced):
Cody Rhodes returns to SmackDown as the WWE Champion
John Cena addresses the shocking return of Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam
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Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com