WWE Kicks Off Four-Week Crown Jewel Build With SmackDown Launch

The show lays out championship contenders and character shifts while flagging that regional tensions could still alter the advertised Riyadh card.

Overview

SmackDown served as the first televised stop in WWE’s four-week ramp to Crown Jewel on November 7 in Riyadh by positioning matches and appearances tied to the event.
Cody Rhodes has been announced to challenge Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship on the next Raw, an announced change that could affect planned Crown Jewel pairings.
Nikki Bella is booked to face Paige on SmackDown with a win said to put her in line for a shot at WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green.
Damian Priest debuted a heel repackaging in a singles match against R-Truth, and Tiffany Stratton—the current women’s Money in the Bank holder—was scheduled to make her first post-win appearance.
Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley are the new women’s tag champions and backstage injuries and Weekend of SummerSlam angles, including Brie Bella’s broken shoulder blade, have already forced WWE to shift short-term plans.