The go-home edition of SmackDown is going to hit the gas, kicking off the WWE-ESPN era with Wrestlepalooza. Tonight’s show will be live exclusively from the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio, featuring the final faceoff before Saturday. Just like last week’s episode, tonight’s show will be epic, featuring the Blue Brand’s biggest superstars like Randy Orton, Jacob Fatu, Jade Cargill, and even Brock Lesnar.
That’s not all, because the upcoming episode will be action-packed as well, with Carmelo turning up for Sami Zayn’s US Open challenge and other exciting matches taking place as the show progresses. With that being said, here are our five last-minute predictions for the final episode of SmackDown ahead of Saturday’s premium live event.
5. Tiffany Stratton Wants Jade Cargill and Nia Jax at Wrestlepalooza
At the September 12, 2025, segment of SmackDown, Tiffany Stratton was defending her WWE Women’s Championship against Jade Cargill. The match ultimately led to a double count-out as both women took themselves out after going through the barricade. The match did not conclude as Nia Jax made the most out of this opportunity and launched an attack on both women (via YouTube).
Since Stratton has been the victim of lazy writing and has forever been in a feud with Jax, and now Cargill. Chances are, tonight, she will call out both women and announce that she will defend her title against her two rivals on the same night. This can be a very likely scenario, as her match is yet to take place on the PPV and make it grander than ever!
4. Damian Priest Ambushes Aleister Black in a Backstage Segment
Aleister Black closed his chapter with Damian Priest on the September 5, 2025, episode of the Blue Brand, where he used the referee to create a distraction. Last week, he sent a cold message to ‘The Archer of Infamy,’ stating how he poisoned him with doubt, and there will be consequences if he keeps coming after him.
Those are some big words against a former World Heavyweight Champion. These two are going back and forth against each other, and we can expect Priest to not only return but also ambush Black in a cold-blooded manner, reminding him that their rivalry is far from over.
3. Carmelo Proves to The Miz He’s Ready for the US Title
Tension does not seem to end between Melo Don’t Miz, as The Miz was fuming at his partner for making decisions for himself and earning himself a shot at the US title. However, ‘The Awesome One’ was not convinced that Melo was ready to be a US champion. Instead, he told him to focus on becoming a Tag Team champion.
However, Hayes was confident that he could win the gold for himself. Now, it would not make sense for Sami Zayn to lose his title on a random segment of SmackDown, as he went through hell to earn the coveted US Championship to get a step closer to becoming a Grand Slam Champion. But it would play a more important role in how Miz would realize his partner’s potential and would treat him as an equal.
2. Brock Lesnar Addresses John Cena Ahead of Their Final Match
Brock Lesnar had some words for John Cena, but he could not say them, as he got interrupted by R-Truth’s “Ron Cena” and found himself in an embarrassing situation (via YouTube). Earlier this week, on Monday Night RAW, ‘The Last Real Champion’ had a strong message for ‘The Beast Incarnate.’
Hopefully, Lesnar does not get interrupted by R-Truth, as he will call out Cena, and he will send him on a one-way trip to Suplex City, retiring him before he can finish his Farewell Tour.
1. Cody Rhodes Goes Street Fighter Mode Against Drew McIntyre
Last week’s SmackDown ended on a high note as Cody Rhodes returned earlier from the production of the Street Fighter live adaptation and took out Drew McIntyre. But that was not all, because he challenged him to a match at Wrestlepalooza for the Undisputed WWE Champion, as he was going to hurt Randy Orton even more after their match.
Since this will be the final live show before the PLE, fans should expect both men to engage in a brawl, giving the WWE Universe a sneak peek of what awaits them this Saturday.
With so many interesting possibilities at tonight’s SmackDown, which one are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below!
WWE SmackDown can be streamed on the USA Network (USA) at 8/7 C in the U.S. and on Netflix globally.
