WWE Smackdown is gearing up for its highly anticipated return to the USA Network, next week from its current home on the FOX Sports. Next Friday, September 13, 2024, will be promoted as the season premiere of the blue brand show and that event will take place at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
The return of WWE Smackdown on USA Network is already generating significant buzz among the fans while Monday Night Raw also stays on the same network for the time being before it finally moves to Netflix, next year in January.
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Meanwhile, WWE Smackdown will be having its residency on the USA Network for the next five years starting from next week which falls earlier than the initially planned date. This move comes as part of a new five-year deal between WWE and USA Network that will be through until the fall of 2029 just after WWE’s rights agreement with FOX comes to an end.
WWE Smackdown expected to be a loaded show despite top stars’ absence
An update suggests that WWE Smackdown will have a huge show in store for next week on the USA Network. Per the reports of Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, a major event to kick off the blue brand’s return to NBCUniversal should be there. This comes even though the likes of John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s busy schedules with movie projects.
“You got to figure, [John] Cena is doing movie stuff so can’t be there and I don’t know Dwayne’s schedule is, but you got to figure that they are going to try have a pretty loaded show, for the first show on USA. People are going to forget and things like that, so you have to hammer it home and you got to give them a very big first show. I do believe that the show this Friday will be a very big build for the show next week,” Meltzer said about the September 13 episode of WWE Smackdown. (quotes courtesy Ringside News)
It’s worth noting that Roman Reigns, one of the top stars, is currently not being advertised for next week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. While nothing has been confirmed for the show, as of this writing, Cody Rhodes’ next championship defense might be in store for that night instead of the next WWE premium live event, Bad Blood in October.
