Tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown (Friday, October 16, 2026) emanates live from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California and will air starting at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network.
Results, match winners, promo segment notes and other major developments from WWE's blue brand will be added below as Friday Night SmackDown airs.
Preview & Predictions for WWE SmackDown:
On tap for tonight's episode, Paige battles Nikki Bella in a rematch as their ongoing rivalry continues. Former tag team partners Damian Priest and R-Truth will also go one-on-one following their recent backstage confrontation.
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton are scheduled to come face-to-face after Orton interfered in Rhodes' Money in the Bank qualifying match and cost him an opportunity to enter the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match. With Rhodes demanding a confrontation, tensions between the former allies continue to escalate.
Damian Priest can't have turned on R-Truth and beaten him up, as well as other people, for the past few weeks, just to lose to him unless there is one possible scenario: R-Truth catches him on some kind of fluke roll-up or Priest gets himself disqualified, so R-Truth does technically win, but gets immediately beaten up afterward out of anger by Priest so that it LOOKS like he came out of it the stronger of the two.
Paige and Nikki Bella is even more straightforward. Bella keeps hovering around Chelsea Green for a future shot at the WWE Women's Championship. Assuming that isn't something WWE just plans on dropping any time soon, Bella scores the win over Paige to set herself up for a title opportunity and likely faces someone like Tiffany Stratton the following week or so.
Of course, a face to face confrontation between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton can only end in them brawling unless SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis once again has them on a no-contact order, in which case, they cut their promos about how they're going to take the other person out at whatever show is announced that they will be fighting at. I'd assume Crown Jewel, but it could be on a future episode of SmackDown as well.
Here are your results for WWE SmackDown - October 16, 2026:
- TBD - Singles Match: Paige vs Nikki Bella
- TBD - Singles Match: Damian Priest vs R-Truth
- TBD - Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton face-to-face confrontation
What are your thoughts on tonight's episode of Friday Night SmackDown? Drop your reactions in the comments below and spark a discussion!