WWE has major change planned for next week's episode of SmackDown
This week's WWE SmackDown saw the end of the quarterfinal matches of the King and Queen of the Ring Tournament. As the day of the premium live event comes close, superstars are making their way to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the May 25 show.
As WWE is set to travel to the Middle East next week, the company has rolled out a major change for SmackDown. As noted by WrestleTalk on X/Twitter, the May 24, 2024 edition of the blue brand will be pre-taped for the US audience.
Next week's Friday Night show is set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as a result, due to the time difference American fans will watch pre-taped matches at the scheduled time of broadcast. However, WWE and TNT Sports will make an exception for Saudi Arabian fans and air the episode seven hours earlier.
A similar scenario played out for SmackDown when the crew went to Lyon, France for WWE Backlash on May 4, 2024. However, while the US fans will learn about the finalists of the tournament later than the ones in Jeddah, it will only add to their anticipation.
Two semifinal matches set for next week's WWE SmackDown ahead of the premium live event
While the RAW finalists of the King and Queen of the Ring Tournament will be decided this Monday, SmackDown will get the advantage of veiling the winner of Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga and Bianca Belair versus Nia Jax.
The Viper is currently in a major feud with The Bloodline and will look forward to avenging his loss alongside Kevin Owens. It would be interesting to see if The Apex Predator overcomes Tonga, or if Solo Sikoa will have another success as the new leader of The Bloodline.
On the other hand, The Irresistible Force has also stirred up an enmity with Belair’s partner Jade Cargill. In fact, she got the former AEW star disqualified by trying to intimidate her daughter who was watching the match, resulting in Cargill attacking her with a steel chair.
Meanwhile, on RAW, Gunther will take on Jey Uso and Lyra Valyria will face former WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY in the semi-finals of the King and Queen of the Ring Tournament, respectively. It will be interesting to see which superstar will head towards the finals next weekend in Saudi Arabia.