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WWE SmackDown Preview (6/5/26): Start Time, Match Card, How To Watch & Live Stream

Cody Rhodes is still the WWE Champion ahead of today's SmackDown, but he's promised Gunther a rematch after the controversial ending to their match at Clash in Italy.
Rick Ucchino|
Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes | WWE

Cody Rhodes proved to Gunther that he was hard to beat at Clash in Italy, but it came with an asterisk.

While The American Nightmare did successfully retain his title over The Ring General this past Sunday afternoon, he only did so because the referee failed to see Gunther's foot underneath the bottom rope as he counted the decisive pinfall.

Never one to take the easy way out, Rhodes directly addressed the controversial outcome during the Clash in Italy post-show and promised Gunther a rematch for the title if he desired one. The Career Killer is very likely to accept that offer, but when and where will this rematch take place? Will we find out later today when WWE SmackDown takes over the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy?

As the reigning WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes also needs to concern himself with The King of the Ring Tournament. There are still 13 men who are vying to wear the crown and earn a World Title opportunity at SummerSlam this August.

Oba Femi powered his way into the semifinals when he knocked off Men's Intercontinental Champion Penta, Solo Sikoa and Carmelo Hayes in his opening round Fatal 4-Way this past Monday night on WWE Raw. While we don't know which match will be taking place, as of this writing, four more men will be fighting to join The Ruler in the semifinals during today's episode of SmackDown.

The annual Queen of the Ring Tournament is also underway, with IYO SKY punching her ticket to the semifinals on Monday. Just like with the men's bracket, we don't yet know which opening round Fatal 4-Way Match will be taking place later today, but one is expected to be included on the card.

IYO SKY
IYO SKY | Netflix

WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley, Men's United States Champion Trick Williams, Jade Cargill and Sami Zayn are all being advertised for the show as well, which has a special start time overseas.

Here's everything we currently know about today's episode of Friday Night SmackDown. Check back for updates as matches and segments are likely to be announced ahead of airtime.

How to watch WWE SmackDown tonight:

Watch: USA Network in the United States and on Netflix internationally

WWE SmackDown time:

Time: 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST) in the United States on tape delay, airing live internationally at 2 p.m. EST (1 p.m. CST).

WWE SmackDown location:

Location: Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy

WWE Smackdown card (Announced):

  • Clash in Italy fallout
  • King and Queen of the Ring Tournament opening round matches
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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

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

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