All superstars confirmed for WWE SmackDown tonight (May 8, 2026) ft. Gunther, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes & more
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Tonight’s SmackDown will emanate from Jacksonville, Florida.
Before the trip to Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, WWE will take over the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, for tonight’s May 8 edition of Friday Night SmackDown.
Tonight’s show will serve as the go-home edition for the Backlash PLE, which, as noted, will emanate from Tampa. Superstars set to compete at the show will appear tonight, likely for a final face-off, while weekly storylines will continue to take shape with the addition of new faces from NXT.
After an unprovoked attack on the Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes, ‘The Ring General’ Gunther is set to make an appearance, addressing the attack on the Champion.
On the other hand, WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley will team up with Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair in a united front to face off against Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid).
The newly crowned WWE Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton will defend the title for the first time against Giulia’s manager, Kiana James.
Additionally, WWE will also hold a funeral for the Gingerbread Man after Sami Zayn ripped him to pieces on last week’s show, bagging the US title rematch against Trick Williams at Backlash in the process.
Also Read: WWE SmackDown (May 8, 2026): Preview, start time & where to watch
All WWE Superstars confirmed for SmackDown (May 8, 2026)
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- “Undisputed WWE Champion” Cody Rhodes
- “WWE Women’s Champion” Rhea Ripley
- Jade Cargill
- “The Viper” Randy Orton
- “Women’s Tag Team Champions” Brie Bella & Paige
- The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend)
- Drew McIntyre
- “Women’s United States Champion” Tiffany Stratton
- Giulia & Kiana James
- Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
- Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae
- “United States Champion” Trick Williams
- Sami Zayn
- The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga,)
- Chelsea Green
- “WWE Tag Team Champions” R-Truth & Damian Priest
- Carmelo Hayes
- The Miz
- Kit Wilson
- Danhausen
- Rey Fenix
- Ilja Dragunov
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Los Garzas (Angel & Berto)
- Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom)
- Matt Cardona
- “The Samaon Werewolf” Jacob Fatu
- Royce Keys
- Ricky Saints
- Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)
- SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis
When and where will SmackDown take place this week?
The May 8 edition of WWE SmackDown will emanate live from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
When and where will Backlash 2026 take place?
The 2026 edition of Backlash will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
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