Lineup for WWE SmackDown Tonight (June 19, 2026) ft. Cody Rhodes vs Gunther rematch; Night of Champions build; Liv Morgan & Jey Uso in action & more
(Courtesy : WWE)
Tonight’s SmackDown will finalize the participants for the King & Queen of the Ring tournament finals.
With one week left for Night of Champions 2026, WWE is looking to finalize the card for the PLE. The event will host the finals of the 2026 King & Queen of the Ring tournament.
Iyo Sky and Oba Femi advanced into the finals of their respective tournaments on this week’s Raw, and now the second semi-finals tonight will finalize the participants who will face Iyo and Oba in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 27.
What’s in store for tonight’s SmackDown?
Live from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, tonight’s edition of Friday Night SmackDown will be the final show in the U.S. as WWE travels back to Europe before the Night of Champions PLE in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Among the matches announced is the Undisputed title rematch, where Cody Rhodes will once again defend the title against Gunther in a rematch from Clash in Italy. Sami Zayn will serve as the special guest referee for the title rematch.
Furthermore, as mentioned, the second semi-final of the 2026 King and Queen of the Ring tournament will be contested tonight. Charlotte Flair and Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan battle to secure a spot in the QOTR finals against Iyo Sky.
Meanwhile, Jey Uso and Je’Evans clash in the second semi-final to secure a spot against Oba Femi, who punched his ticket to the finals after defeating Dominik Mysterio.
On the other hand, Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints are now set to battle in a number-one contenders’ match for the United States title. The winner of the match will take on the reigning champion, Trick Williams, at Night of Champions.
Additionally, R-Truth and Damian Priest will defend their WWE Tag Team titles against the MFTs (Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga). This will be their fifth title defense and first this month as Truth returns to in-ring action.
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs Gunther – Undisputed WWE title match (with Sami Zayn as the special guest referee)
- Charlotte Flair vs Liv Morgan – 2026 Queen of the Ring semi-final
- Jey Uso vs Je’Von Evans – 2026 King of the Ring semi-final
- Carmelo Hayes vs Ricky Saints – Winner earns U.S title match at Night of Champions
- R-Truth & Damian Priest (c) vs The MFT (Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga) – WWE Tag Team titles match
- Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton & Randy Orton are listed as featured superstars
Returns expected on tonight’s show
As mentioned, both Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton are listed as featured superstars for the show. Although the listing doesn’t confirm their return tonight in Kansas City, fans are still speculating about Orton’s return, especially if WWE has any plans to run back the WrestleMania showdown between Cody Rhodes and Orton.
WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley is also listed as one of the featured superstars for the show, despite reports of WWE planning alternatives if Rhea is forced out of action due to the knee injury she sustained at Clash in Italy.
Fans can also expect appearances from Bloodline members as Jey Uso partakes in the KOTR semi-finals and the angle with Solo Sikoa might be explored further.
Ticket update for tonight’s show
According to a report from WrestleTix, 6,362 tickets have been distributed for the show tonight in Kansas City.
The last time WWE held a show at the venue was on December 8, 2025, with that episode of RAW recording 7,598 tickets distributed.
Start time for tonight’s SmackDown in Kansas City
- United States, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico: 08 PM ET, 07 PM CT & 05 PM PT (Friday)
- Canada: 08 PM ET (Friday)
- United Kingdom & Ireland: 1 AM BST (Saturday)
- India: 5:30 AM IST (Saturday)
- Bangladesh: 06 AM BST (Saturday)
- Saudi Arabia: 03 AM AST (Saturday)
- Australia: 10 AM AEST / 11 AM AEDT (Saturday)
- France: 01 AM CEST (Saturday)
- Brazil: 09 PM BRT (Friday)
- Mexico: 06 PM CST (Friday)
- Singapore: 08 AM SGT (Saturday)
- China: 08 AM CST (Saturday)
- Nigeria: 01 AM WAT (Saturday)
- South Africa: 02 AM SAST (Saturday)
- Germany: 01 AM CET (Saturday)
When and where will this week’s edition of SmackDown take place?
The June 19 edition of WWE SmackDown will emanate live from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The show will air at 8 PM ET on the USA Network for U.S fans and on Netflix internationally (excluding select markets).
When and where will Night of Champions 2026 take place?
Night of Champions is set for June 27, 2026, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
When and where will the finals of the 2026 King & Queen of the Ring take place?
The finals of the 2026 King & Queen of the Ring tournament will take place at Night of Champions, with the winners earning a shot at the title of their choosing at SummerSlam.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.