WWE SmackDown Preview: Orton & Rhodes Team Up, Sami Zayn’s Open Challenge
Tonight, Friday, October 3, 2025, WWE SmackDown broadcasts live from the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, starting at 8 PM ET on the USA Network in the United States and streaming internationally on Netflix.
Storylines are focused on building toward Crown Jewel, including more potential appearances from Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre’s revenge arc, and a strong focus on the developing tag team and women’s division storylines.
Matches and Segments (October 3, 2025)
Main Event Tag Team Match: Cody Rhodes teams with Randy Orton to face Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker (The Vision). This comes after Orton helped Rhodes clear the ring of these challengers last week, building momentum toward Crown Jewel.
Sami Zayn’s United States Championship Open Challenge: Zayn, who has successfully defended his title in a string of open challenges, will issue another open challenge for the U.S. Championship tonight. Previous challengers have included John Cena, Rey Fenix, Carmelo Hayes, and Je’Von Evans. The new challenger will be revealed on the show.
WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton Appearing: After defeating Nia Jax and Jade Cargill last week, Tiffany Stratton will address her Crown Jewel opponent, Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, and set her sights on further championship dominance.
Damian Priest in Action: After an ongoing feud with Aleister Black, including backstage attacks, Damian Priest is scheduled for an in-ring match. Speculation is that Kit Wilson could be his opponent, with Aleister Black possibly interfering.
